Hopes of bringing to life a new hospital along the New South Wales - Victoria border have been shattered after the project missed out on funding in the Victorian state budget.
Doctors in the border region say they're "devastated" the Victorian budget has failed to deliver any funds for a new Albury Wodonga Hospital.
Health workers and the border community have been rallying for a new hospital as the current facility struggles to keep up with growing demand.
Albury Wodonga Health has already declared two Code Yellows this autumn after staff struggled to treat hundreds of patients in its emergency department on separate occasions.
Border Medical Association chair Barbara Robertson said her organisation had hoped for some funds from Victoria after the federal government announced $20 million for future infrastructure plans for the hospital as part the Albury Wodonga Regional Deal package.
"We so needed it, " she said.
"We made it very clear and we are devastated.
"Clearly there's a lot of money going into health, but in different directions."
Missing master plan
Politicians on both sides of the border have accused the Victorian government of withholding the master plan which would outline the hospital design, construction costs and a way forward.
Farrer MP Sussan Ley lodged a freedom of information request with the Victorian Health Department last month seeking a copy of the document that she said was completed last year.
Northern Victoria MP Jaclyn Symes, was in the region to announce the redevelopment of North East Health Wangaratta's mental health unit as part of the budget.
She said the master plan process was under way but it had not been completed.
"Albury Wodonga Health, NSW Health and Victorian Health Departments are still at the table working on this process. It's incomplete at this stage," she said.
"It's an appropriate process… so that all of the views, all of the opinions, particularly from the experts rather than politicians, are feeding into an appropriate process that will determine a pathway for governments to consider future investment to respond to community need which undoubtedly exists."
She said it was needed before any funding commitments could be made.
"Once [the master plan] is completed we'll be able to inform, particularly NSW and the Victorian government in relation to next steps, priorities as well as potentially the opportunity to partner with the federal government which could; if everyone worked together — deliver what is required for that community."
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the government needed to put its differences with other leaders aside to get the best outcomes for Victorians.
"We have a hospital crisis because the state government in Victoria has almost no proper relationship with the NSW counterparts," he said.
"I'll fix it by working with the Commonwealth and the NSW government, whatever political colours they are, because we need results [and] real solutions."
Mr Guy was in Wodonga last month to hear from community members about their experiences in the hospital system.
More healthcare staff
Ms Symes said while the budget did not address infrastructure needs for the local health service, the region would benefit from the employment of an additional 7,000 healthcare workers across the state.
Dr Robertson raised concerns that the additional workers across rural and regional areas wouldn't alleviate any local pressure.
"I'm not sure where they're going to get 7,000 new healthcare workers from," she said.
"Everywhere is so short, we are talking about the whole state.
She said it would be interesting to see how the government achieved that target.
"While we are glad there's an emphasis on the triple 0 services and improving that, that doesn't do anything to improve our situation with our lack of beds and nursing staff right now," she said.
She said the lack of new money announced by Victoria hadn't deterred their push for a new hospital.
