A range of services at Werribee Mercy will soon receive a welcome boost, thanks to the state government’s 2016-17 budget allocations for health services.
Mercy Health will receive an overall funding allocation of $292.22 million for its facilities across the state – a 7.3 per cent increase on the previous year.
While it has not yet been determined how much of the funding will be directed at the Werribee hospital, Mercy Health chief executive health services Linda Mellors welcomed the announcement last week.
“The increased funding will help boost services at Werribee Mercy Hospital, including elective surgery, emergency [and] maternity,” she said. “Wyndham is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia and this funding will ensure the community has access to quality health services close to home.”
She said the funding allocation was $19.95 million more than that of the previous year.
Werribee MP Tim Pallas said the extra funding meant more patients would be able to access high quality and safe care.
Health Minister Jill Hennessy said the government was supporting doctors and nurses by opening more beds and theatres to treat patients faster.
The funding comes on top of the expansion Werribee Mercy is currently undergoing, first announced in the 2015-16 state budget, that will provide 64 new inpatient beds, including eight critical care day beds.
An additional six operating theatres will make up part of the expansion, all to be constructed in four storeys at the northern end of the hospital, above the Catherine McAuley Centre.
