New Footscray Hospital now open

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – The new Footscray Hospital is open today.

The $1.5 billion new Footscray Hospital was delivered by the Plenary Group-led Plenary Health consortium in partnership with the Victorian Government and Western Health, and will transform healthcare for communities across Melbourne’s west.

More than 4,500 staff undertook training in preparation to use the new hospital’s advanced features and technologies, after completing a successful mock move last year.

Up to 180 patients have been safely transferred by the thousands of dedicated staff, ensuring patients receive uninterrupted care throughout the transition.

The new Footscray Hospital gives families in the western suburbs faster care, closer to home. Once fully operational, the new hospital will have more than 500 beds – an increase of 200 – and treat an additional 15,000 patients every year.

State-of-the-art innovations at the new Footscray Hospital include:

• Victoria’s first fully public pathology service, supporting Western Health’s entire network and delivering faster and higher-quality testing and diagnosis for patients
• a new, bigger and better emergency department (ED), supporting an additional 20,000 patients every year
• faster radiology services for patients thanks to three premium CT scanners, including one in the ED, and the ED’s high-tech satellite radiology hub
• a new mental health, alcohol and other drugs hub in the ED to ease pressure on resources and improve safety – fast-tracking patients to an area with specialist, dedicated care so they get the right support sooner
• more resuscitation bays, fast-track bays, and acute and short stay beds
• new state-of-the-art theatres, benefiting patients needing planned surgery. The theatres also link to other Western Health sites for education, case planning and better patient care
• expanded MRI capacity from one to three world-class machines
• easier-to-accessible specialist care thanks to an increase in consultation spaces
• training for the next generation of nurses, midwives and allied health workers thanks to the hospital’s connection to Victoria University
• a boost in skills training and employment pathways for students of physiotherapy, speech pathology, dietetics, biomedicine and psychology.

New Footscray Hospital Project Chair Kelvyn Lavelle said, “Today marks an extraordinary milestone for the New Footscray Hospital; an on-time and on-budget delivery of Victoria’s largest ever public hospital.

“The hospital is the result of years of dedication, commitment, and private sector innovation by the Plenary Health consortium, in partnership with the Victorian Government and Western Health.

“This is an outstanding outcome for everyone involved and I want to recognise our contractor Multiplex and the many consultants and workers who have contributed throughout.”

Plenary Group CEO Paul Crowe said, “Plenary is proud to celebrate the opening of the new Footscray Hospital and to have partnered with the Victorian Government and Western Health to deliver Victoria’s single largest health infrastructure project.

“This project shows the strength of the public–private partnership model in generating an innovative community hospital that generates economic, social and health benefits that extend beyond the hospital itself.

“Congratulations to our Plenary team and consortium partners on the successful delivery and opening of this landmark project for Melbourne’s west.”

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said, “This is a new hospital for Footscray, and a new future for health care in the west.”

Victorian Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said, “Our dedicated workforce at Footscray have the modern hospital they need to deliver faster, world-class care.”

Victorian Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne said, “Millions of hours on site and thousands of dedicated workers brought the hospital to life.”