Health funding falls short on demand: AMA

The Victorian budget's funding for health services fails to address the growing demands placed on the system, doctors say.

The budget includes $28 million to build Barwon Health North in Geelong, $73 million for the expansion of the Latrobe Regional Hospital, $38 million for drug and alcohol treatments and $60 million in 2014/15 for hospitals to meet demand for health services in winter.

As previously announced, there is also $190 million over four years for additional elective surgery.

Australian Medical Association Victorian president Dr Stephen Parnis said this fell well short of the $420 million the association recommended to cut elective surgery waiting lists.

Overall, the government had increased health services funding by $600 million in the budget, which was less than the $675 million increase in the previous year's budget, Dr Parnis said.

"Surgery waiting lists continue to grow, ambulances are ramped, hospitals are on bypass, there are not enough hospital beds and today's budget fails to adequately consider the increasing growth in demand," Dr Parnis said.

Opposition health spokesman Gavin Jennings accused the government of spending more than twice as much on prison beds as it was on hospital beds.

"Thousands of Victorians are waiting too long for surgery, but Denis Napthine cares more about prison beds than hospital beds," he said.

Health Minister David Davis said the government's health funding provided health services with unprecedented capacity.

"The coalition government is making our health system healthier with this significant lift in funding, enabling Victoria's world-class hospitals to deliver more emergency care and elective surgery than ever before," Mr Davis said.