Hospital windfall
$9.3 million for upgrades
A $9.3 million windfall to the West Gippsland Hospital will deliver a new operating theatre and eight more beds in the emergency department.
The state government funds will be used to build a new $3.3 million eight-bed short stay unit as an extension to the current emergency department, and will allow a $6 million revamp of existing theatre areas to create a third theatre.
Health Minister Jill Hennessy announced the funds in Warragul on Friday, saying “patients will get the emergency care and surgeries they need sooner.”
Ms Hennessy said the works did not rule out any decisions on the long term future of the current WGH facilities or a new hospital.
“While we plan for the future at Warragul, we are making the critical upgrades needed now to existing facilities so doctors and nurses can continue delivering high quality, safer care and meet growing demand,” she said.
The two projects are being funded as part of a $200 million fund to rebuild rural and regional hospitals.
The short-stay beds are designed to expand capacity within the emergency department, improve efficiency and reduce waiting times for treatment by creating a dedicated area for patients who will stay in hospital for less than 24-hours.
“A new short-stay unit will streamline care and move people through emergency faster, meaning more people will get treated and paramedics can get back on the road quicker,” she said..
The extra theatre will meet increasing demand for elective and emergency surgery and enable more patients to access care at their local hospital.
Ms Hennessy said she had met with the board about the challenges the hospital faced and identified what works were needed to meet those challenges.
“We asked the health service what their priorities were and they said build another theatre and short stay units.
“The new operating theatre will mean the hospital can treat more patients, do it more efficiently and with first rate care,” she said.
WGHG board chairman Jane Leslie welcomed the funding for a project that she said has been on the board’s radar for a couple of years.
“These works will help to meet ongoing demand and pressure in the hospital.
“While we are working through the masterplan process we know we have to invest on the current site and make interim investments,” she said.
Ms Leslie said design works had not been finalised but they expected the short stay units would be constructed in front of the existing emergency department.
She said the third theatre would be developed through a revamp of existing infrastructure.
Ms Leslie said design works and timeframes would be finalised by the health department.
Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing joined the minister for Friday’s announcement.
“Doctors and nurses at Warragul do a remarkable job. We’re supporting them to do their job saving lives and keeping locals healthy by building a modern new operating theatre and expanding emergency capacity, while the work continues on meeting the area’s needs into the future,” she said.
Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood said the funding built on the expansion of the emergency department undertaken by the previous Coalition government in 2012, which doubled the size of the ED.
“I am pleased the Andrews government have heeded my call for the immediate needs of the hospital to be supported but they must commit to the new hospital on the greenfield site if they are serious about the health and wellbeing of our community into the future,” he said.
Mr Blackwood said he hoped the government would ensure local tradesmen and contractors have an opportunity to tender for the works.