This was published 6 years ago
Premier Daniel Andrews promises $1.5 billion for new Footscray hospital
By Matilda Boseley
The Andrews government has announced plans to build a massive $1.5 billion hospital in Footscray.
Premier Daniel Andrews promised the new 504-bed hospital could allow up to 15,000 new patients to be treated each year, with an additional 20,000 emergency department admissions.
The preferred location for the development is the Victoria University Footscray Park campus on the corner of Geelong and Ballarat roads.
Up to $1.5 billion would be invested in the project, with construction starting within two years.
To meet growing demand in the city's west, the Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital will open its doors next year.
Minister for Health Jill Hennessy said the new developments would ease the load on existing hospitals.
“A new women’s and children’s hospital in Sunshine and the new Footscray Hospital will take pressure off inner-city hospitals and provide world-class health care and facilities for local communities of the west."
The Andrews government has promised the hospital could redirect up to 17,000 western suburb residents from inner-city facilities each year, potentially alleviating wait times.
If re-elected, the government said construction would begin in 2020 and the hospital would open its doors to patients in 2025.
Mr Andrews said the new development would help give Melburnians in the west more options.
“If their loved one is sick, they’ll be able to get the world-class, affordable public health care they need, right around the corner," he said.
“Our hard-working doctors and nurses at Footscray Hospital are second to none. This will give them the bigger, better hospital they deserve to keep providing the very best care to local patients and their families.”
However, the shadow Minister for Health, Mary Wooldridge, said on 3AW radio that she doubted Labor's ability to see the project through.
"Daniel Andrews can't be trusted when it comes to building new hospitals," she said.
The current Footscray Hospital has about 290 beds and will remain operational until the new facility opens.
The new hospital will continue to be a tertiary and training facility and Labor has promised it will include a major extension of the mental health care facilities available in the west.