Victorian hospitals will receive a $13.9 million boost thanks to a Victorian Government strategy to open more than 100 extra hospital beds to meet a surge in demand during winter.
Premier John Brumby and Health Minister Daniel Andrews visited Monash Medical Centre in Clayton today to announce details of the new strategy that will provide capacity to treat an additional 1029 patients across 10 metropolitan, regional and rural Victorian hospitals from 1 July.
“The Victorian Government is taking action to give Victorians a better health system, by building new hospitals and hiring more doctors and nurses,” Mr Brumby said.
“The boost would open an extra 102 subacute beds statewide.”
“That is why we have specifically funded a winter strategy to support health services during winter – a period of increased demand for emergency care.”
Mr Brumby said the boost would open an extra 102 subacute beds statewide.
“Southern Health will receive funding for 15 additional beds in time for winter,” Mr Brumby said.
“The new beds will provide improvements for patients by increasing access to subacute care. The beds will also allow for improved patient flow by freeing up beds in acute wards.
“Under the strategy, all metropolitan and regional health services will put in place a plan responding to demand pressures over the 2010 winter months.”
Mr Andrews said as the seasons change, so does the demand on the health system with winter a peak period for hospital activity as a result of seasonal increases in flu and gastro.
“The biggest impact of these changes is frequently seen on the front line – our emergency departments,” Mr Andrews said.
“During the last 12 months there has been a large increase in demand for care from Victorian emergency departments.”
Mr Andrews said from 1 July to 31 October 2009 there was a 2.6 per cent increase in emergency department presentations, a 6.1 per cent increase in patients transferred to ward beds from the emergency department and 4.2 per cent increase in high acuity presentations compared to the same period in 2008.
“Last week’s AIHW report on Australian Hospital statistics showed that the Victoria’s emergency departments are the best in the country – with 73 per cent of emergency department patients seen on time,” he said.
“This increase in capacity will provide further support to staff in our emergency departments to continue providing the very best care to patients.
“The Brumby Labor Government has increased funding to our hospitals by 153 per cent and invested $7.5 billion to deliver in the largest health capital program in the Victoria’s history.
“We have also secured more than $1 billion for Victorian patients over the next four years, with at least a further $3.8 billion more in the years beyond, in our recent agreement with the Commonwealth to continue to grow and improve our health system.”
This year’s Budget provided a $4 billion boost to Victoria’s health system and includes funding to open ten additional ICU beds across Victorian hospitals.
Three of these beds have already opened across the system, with a further four to come online in July at St Vincent’s, Northern, Geelong and Dandenong hospitals. The remainder are scheduled to commence operation later this year.
Health services receiving subacute funding for additional beds include:
HEALTH SERVICE Beds Extra patients able to be treated
Alfred 30 207
Southern 15 103
Eastern 4 27
Northern 16 224
Peninsula 6 83
Albury Wodonga 6 41
Ballarat 9 124
Bendigo 12 166
Central Gippsland Health Service
2
27
Western District Health Service 2 27
Total 102 1,029