Funding Shortfall

WONTHAGGI Hospital is set to get a new pharmacy, pathology clinic and medical imaging suite as part of an allocation of $65 million, shared with the West Gippsland Hospital and Cooinda Lodge Aged Care in Warragul.

The exact allocation to Wonthaggi is not known but is being touted as the first down payment on a promised $290 million for stages 2 and 3 of the hospital upgrade.

The new funding was announced by the Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne last Friday and confirmed in a State Government statement on Monday this week.

It’s not what we were promised ahead of the last election, nor the desperately needed upgrade to maternity and newborn care called for by Bass Coast Health Acting CEO Simone Alexander last October.

But news of the funding allocation has been welcomed by the hospital, by Bass MP Jordan Crugnale, by Labor candidate for Bass Chris Buckingham and cautiously by Bass Coast Mayor Cr Rochelle Halstead.

“This suite of upgrades and services in the ED building is a welcomed step in achieving our goal of more care close to our community which is a big part of the Bayside Health vision,” Bayside Health Regional Care Group CEO Louise Sparkes said.

“A new MRI, a bigger pharmacy, a new mortuary, which is a very important part of our health service and the relocation of Monash Pathology to the front entrance of the hospital all result in better facilities for our staff and our community and a much more seamless experience if you are receiving care here in Wonthaggi,” Chief Operating Officer at Wonthaggi Christine Henderson said.

Ms Sparkes said the new pharmacy opened new opportunities at Wonthaggi.

“The new and improved pharmacy will be alongside other important services at the front of the hospital and close to the wards. This is also the first step towards being able to undertake further clinical trials and is one of the big advantages of the merger with services like Alfred,” she said.

Cr Halstead welcomed the funding allocation but stressed the community had been promised more.

“Certainly, we welcome this announcement, but my concern would be about the promise in 2022 of $290 million for stages 2 and 3 of the hospital,” Cr Halstead said.

“The demographics of Bass Coast are changing and we’re seeing a lot more young families who would benefit from an upgrade to maternity and newborn care at Wonthaggi,” she said.

“Such things as a new 32-bed ward, new labour and birthing suite, outpatients’ clinic with 25 beds, an upgrade to dialysis and chemo services, more car parking at the allied health and rehab area.

“These are services we desperately need, forcing people to leave the area to get the health care when they were promised more,” Cr Halstead said.
Ms Crugnale addressed the issue of a maternity upgrade and the hospital redevelopment generally.

“There has been much talk over the years about using the shell space to expand maternity and neonatal care. There is a whole floor still available for this to happen with Wonthaggi already working with their Bayside partners on maternity service provision across the network as the first step,” Ms Crugnale said.

“This needs to be done in a coordinated way to ensure safety, capability and a continuum of care.

“The aim is for a higher level so more babies can be delivered close to home, and I am so pleased this important work has started and we are on the way,” she said.

Ms Crugnale welcomed the latest funding announcement.

“The MRI will go into the current radiology precinct meaning patients don’t have to get the lift and walk across the hospital,” she said.

Speaking to the Sentinel-Times this week, Ms Crugnale said the government was committed to funding stage two of the upgrade at Wonthaggi “and this is the first stage”.

The issue was hotly debated on social media over the weekend with Sentinel-Times readers raising such issues as waiting times in ED, ambulance ramping, lack of mental health services, paediatric and maternity services, a ‘cathlab’ for heart attack and stroke patients, and car parking.

The State Government has already delivered a $115 million redevelopment at Wonthaggi including new operating theatres, a procedure room, emergency department and an inpatient ward which opened in 2022.

“This investment in a bigger and better hospital means staff are now able to treat an additional 26,000 emergency department patients every year,” Ms Horne said.

According to the statement, the Victorian Health Building Authority is now planning future stages of the Wonthaggi site.

Detailed planning for a new West Gippsland Hospital is also continuing, including consideration of possible uses for its historic buildings once the new site is operational.