By Lexi Cottee
Epping’s Northern Hospital will get a $98 million expansion if the state government is re-elected on November 29.
Premier Denis Napthine was in Epping on Friday to announce the investment in Northern Health that will fund a new three-storey extension, a rooftop helipad to the in-patient tower now under construction, two more operating theatres, 12 more intensive care beds and another day surgery.
The announcement came just 18 months after Health Minister David Davis announced the government was considering merging Northern Health and Austin Health.
The merger was called off two months later, and Mr Davis indicated at the time that both hospitals could expect more funding and support.
After Friday’s announcement, Mr Davis told
Star Weekly that statement had been in reference to the hospital’s recurrent annual funding.
He also said the merger was never likely to happen.
Thomastown Labor MP Bronwyn Halfpenny said the Coalition’s latest funding announcement felt hollow and lacked a timeline for the works.
“I don’t know how we can believe them,” she said.
“I worry that they’re leading people up the garden path.”
City of Whittlesea mayor Ricky Kirkham said the announcement was recognition of the community’s rapid growth.
“Today’s election pledge by the Coalition to invest $98 million in the Northern Hospital is recognition of how fast our community is growing,” he said.
“Such a significant expansion of the hospital’s services will benefit the entire northern corridor, in particular residents in the City of Whittlesea.”
Mr Napthine and Mr Davis also announced last Friday that a re-elected state government would partner Northern Health with the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) to deliver more paediatric surgery closer to patients’ homes.
Teams of specialist paediatric surgeons from the RCH will begin working at Northern Health on a rotating roster.
“The entire community will benefit from a re-elected Coalition government’s third major expansion of Northern Hospital, but the children of Melbourne’s northern suburbs and their families are set to be the big winners from this announcement,” Dr Napthine said.
Mr Davis said the partnership would be modelled on a Barwon Health/RCH initiative rolled out in May this year.
