Patients who attend dialysis in Shepparton have faced uncertainty in recent weeks, as their access to transport has changed.
Dialysis appointments are not an optional outing.
They help treat kidney disease and keep people alive by clearing toxins and waste from their blood.
Until this month, it is understood that many patients in the Shepparton area were ferried to and from these medical appointments, often multiple times each week, by taxis paid for by Ambulance Victoria.
In September, regional dialysis patients were told some people using this kind of transport would no longer have access and would need to find alternatives.
A letter sent to Goulburn Valley Health patients cited a change to Ambulance Victoria’s criteria for use of non-emergency patient transport services.
“Unfortunately, this will mean that some people using transport will no longer meet the new criteria,” the letter stated.
However, Ambulance Victoria said the organisation was simply enforcing existing criteria that had been in place since 2016.
“There has been no change to eligibility for (non-emergency patient transport) — these existing requirements are being better implemented to ensure NEPT is available for those who need it such as eligible dialysis patients and to take pressure off our paramedics,” Ambulance Victoria acting executive director of specialist operations and co-ordination Michael Georgiou said.
According to Ambulance Victoria, non-emergency patient transport is intended for patients who require clinical monitoring or supervision during transport, but don’t require an emergency ambulance.
The previous manual booking system for such transport services made it difficult to identify bookings that did not meet the criteria, but requests that are not eligible are now more readily identified, according to an Ambulance Victoria spokesperson.
Among other things, eligibility criteria for non-emergency transport requires patients to need clinical monitoring during the trip by someone like a paramedic, have an illness or disability that means they can’t use any other form of transport, and have the trips authorised by a health professional.
Ambulance Victoria said bookings that did not meet these criteria were no longer being accepted.
GV Health chief operating officer Donna Sheringham said the hospital was informed by Ambulance Victoria last month that all patients must meet criteria as identified in the 2016 Department of Health’s ambulance services payment guidelines in order to be eligible for patient transfer funded by Ambulance Victoria.
“We are working with Ambulance Victoria, patients and carers to clarify confusion and ensure a smooth transition following the changes to the patient transport service,” Ms Sheringham said.
Patients have been advised to look into alternatives, which include getting rides from friends and family members, paying for taxis, or finding community transport options.
Patients and family members have expressed concern about the viability of these options due to the immense financial burden multiple taxi trips each week would pose, and the inability for many people to receive help from friends and relatives who work full-time.
Information has also been supplied about the Multi-Purpose Taxi Program, which offers discounted taxi fares.
However, the program has stringent criteria, including requiring that patients have a severe disability that prevents them from using public transport, and only covers 50 per cent of fares, up to $60.
The change in the way patients are able to access transport to dialysis appointments in the Shepparton region has created concern and confusion among those affected.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has heard from constituents who are struggling to navigate the changes in enforcement and implementation of the guidelines.
“This a heartless decision that puts the lives of country Victorians at risk by making it harder to access vital dialysis treatment,” Ms Lovell said.
She said attending dialysis appointments was not something people could choose to do or not.
“It’s a life and death situation,” she said.
“It’s country people being disadvantaged. We have to travel long distances and don’t have the connections.”
State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe said she had written to Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, urging her to step in to ensure that Ambulance Victoria had the necessary resources to provide sufficient transport alternatives for regional and rural patients.
“There needs to be a review of the criteria and additional support put in place for people living in regional areas, where public transport options are limited, and the out-of-pocket costs are unrealistic,” Mrs O’Keeffe said.
Ambulance Victoria said there had been a 25 per cent increase in demand for non-emergency patient transport since 2019.
According to a spokesperson, this means emergency vehicles are at times being used for non-emergency trips.
Recent analysis of bookings across the state showed one in 10 patients currently accessing non-emergency transport resources did not meet the criteria because they did not need clinical monitoring during travel and could use alternative transport options, the spokesperson said.
A GV Health spokesperson said the organisation was working with each patient to assist them with options if they did not meet the Ambulance Victoria criteria.