The Victorian Government has announced a $36 million injection into Frankston hospital for the facility’s redevelopment and expansion.

 

The funding, announced as part of a package in the Victorian budget, is expected to generate 64 additional medical and surgical beds in the hospital. It is expected the hospital will be able to care for an additional 5000 patients per year as a result of the allocation

 

The investment in the Frankston hospital is part of a broader Victorian health spending package that is aimed at generating an additional 800 beds throughout the state.

 

The enhancement of critical care services for the Frankston and Peninsula community will include two extra intensive care beds and two special care nursery cots.

 

The upgraded facilities are expected to be complete by December 2013 and to be fully operational by early 2014.

 

The announcement of the Frankston upgrade comes as the Victorian Government has pledged $40 million for rebuilding the Echuca hospital.

 

Echuca Regional Health (ERH) is the largest sub-regional health service in Northern Victoria and serviced a catchment population of about 40,000 people from towns including Echuca, Moama, Deniliquin and the shires of Campaspe and Murray.

 

The proposed redevelopment will provide:

  • Emergency Department – nine treatment rooms, two children’s treatment cubicles, two resuscitation bays, one isolation room, one secure room, two interview rooms and two ambulance bays.
  • Short stay/Medical Assessment and Procedure Unit (MAPU) – six beds co-located with the Emergency Department.
  • Maternity and Paediatrics – two delivery suites and one assessment/delivery room, two Level 1 nursery cots, six antenatal/post-natal beds, one antenatal day assessment room , two paediatric beds and one paediatric treatment room.
  • Medical Ward – 24 medical beds, six high dependency/cardiac monitored beds and one treatment room.
  • Surgical Ward – 30 surgical beds.
  • Redeveloped front entry.