Premier

Revamped Rushworth Health Care To Put People First

15 December 2016

The Andrews Labor Government will invest $10 million to redevelop Goulburn Valley Health’s Waranga Campus in Rushworth, co-locating all of its health and aged care services under-one-roof.

Premier Daniel Andrews today joined Minister for Health Jill Hennessy and Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes to announce the funding from the first round of the new $200 million Regional Health Infrastructure Fund.

The $200 million fund – the largest of its kind in Victorian history – will rebuild rural and regional hospitals to ensure all Victorians can access the high quality care and facilities they need, no matter where they live.

Goulburn Valley Health will receive $10 million to redevelop the Waranga Aged Care Hostel into a one-stop-shop for all of Rushworth’s acute, aged care, primary care and community health services – all inside a fully-integrated, state-of-the-art hospital facility.

It will also include new office, administration, reception, storage, consulting and activity areas, as well as a new kitchen, dining room and laundry facilities.

The campus is currently split over two sites at the Waranga Aged Care Hostel and the Waranga Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home, which was built in 1961. Bringing the services together on one site will stop the costly duplication of health, IT, kitchen, laundry, utility and maintenance services.

Meanwhile in Shepparton, Goulburn Valley Health will also receive an extra $2 million as part of our $500 million plan to hire 450 new paramedics and improve ambulance response times.

A key part of the plan is $50 million for hospital emergency departments so they can treat and admit patients quickly by opening more beds and hiring more clinicians, freeing up paramedics to get back on the road sooner.

With this boost, Shepparton Hospital will establish a new ED assessment and streaming model, to move patients more quickly through emergency, and increase capacity in the short stay unit. The funding will also help purchase eight new cardiac monitors, an ECG machine and an ultrasound.

Four extra specialist ED doctors and two extra nurses will be employed, while Goulburn Valley Health’s capacity to boost treatment at weekend peak times will be assisted by staffing changes to ensure a physio, nurse practitioner and radiographer are on site seven days per week.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“We’re putting people first by revamping Rushworth’s health services so more patients can be treated sooner, closer to home.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy

“This will secure the future of the town’s health services and make a real difference to the lives of patients and aged care residents who will benefit from modern, safe facilities and better connected care.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes

“Our dedicated doctors and nurses at Rushworth do a remarkable job. We’re supporting them to do their job by redeveloping the Waranga Campus and giving them the modern facilities they truly deserve.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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