A state-of-the-art expansion of the Broadmeadows Hospital has been completed, allowing more patients to have elective surgery close to home.
The $17.3 million redevelopment was officially opened by Health Minister Jill Hennessy and Broadmeadows MP Frank McGuire on August 29.
The redevelopment, which began last September, has doubled the number of operating theatres from two to four.
Other upgrades include relocating the endoscopy suite, expanding the Central Sterile Service Department and storage facilities, a makeover of the patient reception and recovery areas and expanding the pharmacy, radiology and pathology collection services.
Ms Hennessy said the expansion would allow the health service to perform an extra 2500 procedures each year.
“This world-class revamp of Broadmeadows Hospital will see more patients in Melbourne’s North get the safe and high quality surgery they need, sooner, closer to home,” she said.
Mr McGuire said over the past year, the elective surgery waiting list at the Johnstone Street hospital had fallen from 610 people to 485.
The median time to treatment for all elective surgery patients also decreased from 65 to 25 days.
“More families are moving into Melbourne’s north every day. We’re making sure our hospital can keep up with soaring demands and provide faster access to elective surgery,” he said.
“Our elective surgery blitz has seen more patients at Northern Health come off the waiting lists and into operating theatres faster, recover quicker and enjoy better health.”
The government is also spending
$162.7 million to upgrade Epping’s Northern Hospital to better meet the health care needs of patients in the outer north.
The money will fund a seven-storey tower that will include 96 new inpatient beds, three new operating theatres and more treatment rooms.
The project will also include space to expand the hospital’s cardiology services, cath labs and medical imaging.
