The Andrews Labor Government’s state-of-the-art redevelopment of the Wangaratta Hospital will be bigger and better with both stages one and two to be built at the same time.
Premier Daniel Andrews today joined Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes and local community members to announce that Northeast Health Wangaratta will receive $6.9 million through the second round of the Labor Government’s 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.
This boost for Wangaratta is in addition to the $15.2 million provided in the first round for a new 12-bed critical care unit and expanded emergency department.
Now stage two can go ahead at the same time, creating a massive $22 million project with 27 extra beds to meet the demand for high quality critical care and maternity services across the Hume Region. Featuring an extra four maternity beds, refurbished birthing and obstetrics area, extra six medical beds and two palliative care beds.
The redevelopment will ensure more women will be able to give birth closer to home and loved ones, while patients needing emergency care can get the treatment they need sooner. Both stages are expected to create around 60 construction jobs and be completed by late-2020.
Also announced today was the $500,000 regional digital cardiology project between Northeast Health Wangaratta and Alpine Health, jointly funded by the Labor Government and the Alpine community through the Bright opportunity shop, which is speeding up diagnosis and treatment of heart conditions for remote patients.
Developed in partnership with Victoria’s cardiac clinical network, it will enable quicker, 24/7 reporting of digital ECGs from patients in rural urgent care centres with chest pain or suspected acute coronary syndrome.
Last year’s budget delivered $1.67 billion to support hospitals meet demand and provide high quality care Victorian patients deserve, as well as $428.5 million in new hospital upgrades.
This included $98.3 million in funding for Northeast Health Wangaratta. This is $6.65 million or 7.3 per cent more than the previous year, and a whopping $20.2 million or 25.9 per cent more than the Liberals’ last budget.
This is in stark contrast to Malcolm Turnbull who has declared his intentions to short-change Victoria’s hospitals by $2.1 billion – and put patients at risk.
Across the Wangaratta area, this will hit local families hard with a $19.2 million shortfall for Northeast Health Wangaratta – that’s the equivalent of 65 fewer doctors, 154 fewer nurses or 3,099 fewer surgeries.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“Wangaratta Hospital has always been a big part of my life – it was there for me as I grew up and it was there for my dad as he battled cancer.”
“This is a fantastic hospital with hard-working doctors, nurses and health professionals. With this funding boost we’re making it even better, ensuring that locals can get the care and support they need closer to home.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes
“Wangaratta Hospital is so important to the region. Locals told us that it was a better community outcome to complete stages one and two at the same time – we have listened and we have delivered.”
“Families all across North East Victoria are going to benefit from the extra maternity beds and modern facilities they need as more babies are delivered locally than ever before. This is the Labor Government getting it done.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020