Cade Lucas
Designs have been released of the expanded emergency department at Werribee Mercy Hospital.
Site works have commenced for the expansion, which will increase bed capacity and establish dedicated spaces for patient treatment, with construction on track to start by mid-2024 and be completed by 2026.
The expansion will more than double the spaces for patient treatment from 33 to 67 – creating four resuscitation bays, 16 short stay beds, 36 emergency care cubicles and a behavioural assessment room.
Improved facilities for staff are also included in the project which is estimated to support an additional 25,000 patients annually once complete.
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas today unveiled designs of the expanded emergency department, which she said would improve health care for patients in Wyndham.
“We’re delivering on our promise to double the capacity and deliver a state-of-the-art emergency department at the Werribee Mercy Hospital – so more locals can get the care they need, close to home.”
The project was funded in this year’s state budget, with $236 million allocated for the expansion of emergency departments at both Werribee Mercy Hospital and Casey Hospital Berwick.
It’s hoped the expansion will improve wait times for emergency patients at Werribee Mercy, which according to recent data, are the worst in Victoria.
The latest Victorian Agency for Health Information Report showed that from July to September this year, just 39 per cent of emergency admissions at Werribee Mercy were treated within the recommended time, the lowest of any hospital in the state and less than half the statewide target of 80 per cent.
