Tuesday, 18 February 2025

Footscray Hospital

Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (13:23): It was great to be down last week at the new Footscray Hospital and see firsthand the incredible work that is being done to deliver this state-of-the-art facility. At $1.5 billion this is the biggest spend in Victorian history, and it is happening right here in Melbourne’s west. When this hospital opens later this year it will have an increase of 200 beds and be able to treat an additional 15,000 patients each and every year. On top of that, the new hospital will allow for an additional 25,000 people to be seen by the emergency department. It is located right next to Vic Uni, which means if you are a nursing or a medical student doing a placement at the hospital you can cut between classes and walk through a brand new footbridge directly connecting the two, cementing the site as a major research and educational facility in addition to being a hospital. Even better, the new hospital, when open, will reduce wait times, including for elective surgeries and outpatient services.

This is not the hospital that our government is building or upgrading in Melbourne’s west, but it is certainly the biggest. So if you want to see Labor delivering for the west, look no further than this state-of-the-art hospital that is opening its doors later this year to thousands of Victorians right across the western suburbs.