Work has started on a $34 million upgrade to the mental health unit at Werribee Mercy Hospital.
The upgrade, announced last April as part of the 2013-14 state budget, is expected to ease demand for the hospital’s existing mental health beds and reduce waiting times in the emergency department.
The new unit will nearly double the hospital’s mental health capacity from 29 to 54 beds.
Ten beds will be high-dependency – used for high-risk patients who are violent or suicidal and need monitoring – and four beds will be used to assess people experiencing short-term mental health needs.
The long-awaited upgrade has been welcomed by the hospital, which regularly has patients waiting in its emergency department for more than 24 hours for a bed in its mental health unit.
Visiting the hospital last Wednesday for a sod-turning ceremony, Premier Denis Napthine said Wyndham’s growing population deserved facilities that could meet community’s demands.
“This investment represents the largest-ever funding boost for mental health services in Melbourne’s west and will improve access to, and the quality of, mental health care for people in the area,” Dr Napthine said.
The upgrade is expected to create about 100 construction jobs then 30 clinical jobs when it opens in 2016.
