Premier

Second Cardiac Cath Lab To Save More Lives In Ballarat

01 December 2017

More people living across Western Victoria will receive urgent heart assessment, treatment and care closer to home thanks to a new cardiac catheterisation laboratory funded by the Andrews Labor Government.

Minister for Health Jill Hennessy today joined Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard and Member for Wendouree Sharon Knight and the local community to officially open Ballarat Health Services second Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory to cater for the increasing demand for the service in the region.

Cardiac catheterisation laboratories – known as ‘cath labs’ – are used for lifesaving heart procedures such as stenting, angiography, inserting pacemakers and implantable defibrillators.

The new $10 million facility – a key election promise – includes additional recovery space to significantly increase capacity so that many more people with cardiovascular disease can get the care they need sooner and enjoy better health outcomes.

Thanks to Ballarat’s second Cath Lab, more patients across Western Victoria will be able to access urgent heart assessments and procedures closer to home instead of travelling to Melbourne or Geelong.

National Heart Foundation data shows 32.3 per cent of people in Ballarat have cardiovascular disease, which can cause heart attacks and stroke, the highest rate in Victoria.

While at Ballarat Base Hospital, the Premier also visited the Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre to mark the introduction of the hypofractionation protocol in the treatment of prostate cancer, which will shorten treatment for men with low to intermediate risk from eight to four weeks.

The new protocol also shortens the length of disruption that attending treatment can cause, and allows patients to return to their normal routines sooner.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy

“We’re putting patients across Western Victoria first. Ballarat’s new Cath Lab is about ensuring patients can get the care they need, closer to home and to save lives.”

“We promised we’d deliver Ballarat’s second Cath Lab – and we’ve got it done.”

“Labor built Ballarat’s first Cath Lab, and we’re proud to deliver our election commitment to build the region’s second one so we can continue to meet the growing demand for this vital service, closer to home.”

Quote attributable to Member for Wendouree Sharon Knight

"Patients with cardiovascular disease in Western Victoria now have better access to the lifesaving cardiac care they deserve."

Quote attributable to Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard

“The new Cath Lab will ensure people can continue to receive life-saving treatment and care here in Ballarat.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

Was this page helpful?