High Quality Health Care
The Brumby Government wants every Victorian to have access to high quality health care when and where they need it.
Since 1999 we have embarked on the largest health capital works program in Victoria’s history by investing $3.7 billion to build, upgrade or refurbish 58 public hospitals and health services – just over half of all major facilities across Victoria, including:
"Saving the Austin Hospital from privatisation"- Building a brand new $850 million Royal Children’s Hospital at Parkville;
- Opening the new $80 million Casey Hospital at Berwick;
- Saving the Austin Hospital from privatisation – the $376 million rebuilding of the Austin and the Mercy for Women in Heidelberg makes it the largest health precinct in Victoria;
- Building the new $250 million Royal Women’s Hospital;
- Opening the new $52 million Royal Dental Hospital;
- Opening the $34 million redevelopment and expansion of Dandenong Hospital.
New hospitals and aged care facilities are being built at Grace McKellar in North Geelong, Rochester and Elmore District Health Service, Rural Northwest Health in Warracknabeal, West Wimmera Health Service in Nhill and Echuca Regional Health; and
Completed regional hospital redevelopment projects include Kyneton District Health Service, Lorne Hospital and Colac Area Health Services.
"The Brumby Government wants every Victorian to have access to high quality health care when and where they need it."Since coming to office, the State Labor Government has increased funding to our hospitals by 96 per cent. Victoria’s hospitals treated 2.15 million patients in 2005/06 – either admitted to a bed or treated in emergency – which is 500,000 more than in 1999. The Government has employed 8,061 extra nurses and 1,576 extra doctors.
Victoria’s hospitals are leading all other States in emergency department access, according to federal government reports. Emergency departments are being rebuilt at Geelong, Bairnsdale, Shepparton, Monash Medical Centre, Maroondah, Angliss, Royal Melbourne, Williamstown and Werribee.
Building Super Clinics
We are building Super Clinics at Melton, Lilydale and Craigieburn, the Alfred Elective Surgery Centre and the new Health Care Centre in Knox. Access to cancer treatment is being improved, with radiotherapy centres being built at
Geelong, Latrobe Valley and Moorabbin.
Mental health funding has been boosted by 73 per cent, or $329.5 million, with new mental health beds planned for Maroondah, Box Hill, the Austin, and the Alfred, and community residential beds in the Latrobe Valley and Shepparton.
Victorian ambulance services have also been boosted, with funding to ambulance services increased by 112 per cent, or $110 million, since 1999. This funding boost has provided for more than 650 extra paramedics, more than 50 extra
ambulances and more than 60 new or upgraded ambulance stations.
We have invested more than $300 million in state of the art medical equipment such as CT scanners, radiotherapy machines and vital monitoring equipment. Public health campaigns have seen increased rates of childhood immunisation and declining rates of smoking, and Victoria’s medical research facilities are being strengthened under the $230 million Healthy Futures life sciences statement.
A More Active and Healthy Victoria
Victorians are renowned for their love of sport. Since 1999, the State Labor Government has worked to strike a balance between boosting participation and activity at a grassroots level, while maintaining and enhancing Melbourne and Victoria’s pre-eminence on the world sports stage. Find out more by using the link below.