Casey residents deserve proper healthcare including the return of emergency care to the Valley. We need to raise our voice on this critical issue.

It is a failure of both major parties that the Casey electorate of 2,624 square kilometres has no emergency care. Healesville Hospital does not have an emergency department on-site and the Warburton Hospital closed its doors on 14 March 2001. Both Maroondah and Angliss Hospitals are outside the electorate. For people that live in the Valley and Upper Yarra when you call 000 for an ambulance, they recommend you get in your own car to drive to Maroondah Hospital as it will be faster than waiting for an ambulance. This is unacceptable. No one should have to wait or travel far in an emergency.

I have heard from Casey residents that people are struggling to manage cost-of-living pressures, compromising their personal health care - delaying essential medical appointments, rationing medications, and postponing dental care. Local healthcare workers have noticed an increasing trend of patients struggling to maintain prescribed treatments, raising serious concerns about long-term health outcomes. A parent described their anguish with medical costs, as they tried to manage a chronic condition for their child - a stark reminder of how our current system often fails those who need it most.

The people of Casey have suggested a range of healthcare solutions - strengthened and expanded Medicare to include dental care, increased support for bulk-billing practices, and increased engagement with local GPs with a focus on local coordinated patient-led care. Health security is fundamental to economic security.