More hospital beds are closing across more areas than ever before in Victoria under the Baillieu government, with hundreds set to remain closed indefinitely, the nurses' union says.
After recording that "an unprecedented" 1516 hospital beds were closed for a month over Christmas, the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) says this is 50 per cent more than those closed for the previous Christmas.
ANF state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the closures were also more widespread across the system than ever before.
"They're more extensive, most definitely, they extend into further areas," Ms Fitzpatrick told reporters on Wednesday.
"Predominantly the closures around Christmas have been limited to surgical only.
"These beds that are closed now go into all clinical areas. Post-natal beds, palliative care beds, rehabilitation beds, medical beds, there's beds everywhere."
Ms Fitzpatrick said about 40 per cent of the closures were elective surgery beds due to doctors and nurses taking annual leave.
But she said the closures generally were about saving money and that nurses believed about 250 of the beds would remain closed, due to lack of funding, including some at the Royal Children's Hospital.
"There are some 62 beds at the Royal Children's Hospital that have been closed over this period," Ms Fitzpatrick said.
"We are confident that many of those beds aren't funded and won't open at all."
Nurses have been fighting an enterprise bargaining battle with the Victorian government for eight months and last year closed about 700 beds as part of the dispute.
During their action, Health Minister David Davis and hospital executives claimed nurses were putting lives at risk and Fair Work Australia subsequently ordered the nurses to suspend their action.
On Wednesday Mr Davis said he did not accept the nurses' claim that 1516 beds were closed over Christmas.
"I don't have those figures in front of me and I'm not sure they relate to that 1500; I'm not accepting that number," Mr Davis told ABC radio.
He said it was normal over Christmas for "significant quotas" of beds to be closed.
"Up to 20 per cent of staff from major health services may be on leave during late December and January," he told AAP.
"Patients often decide to schedule their surgery outside of this Christmas holiday period, however urgent surgeries and emergency procedures continue."
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