Tenders will soon be open to design and build a $1.5 billion public hospital in Footscray, Victoria.
Community consultation for the project will begin next month, with the tender process due to start in mid-2019.
Victorian Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos has opened an industry forum to help secure a partner for the design, construction and maintenance of the new hospital, with more than 350 experts in major infrastructure attending to learn how they could be part of the project.
The new 504-bed hospital is proposed to be built next to Victoria University’s Footscray Park campus, on the corner of Geelong and Ballarat Roads, replacing the ageing Footscray hospital that was built in the 1950s.
It aims to meet the increasing demand from Melbourne’s booming eastern suburbs and create 2000 jobs in the process.
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With an increase of almost 200 beds, the hospital will be able to treat around 15,000 additional patients each year, as well as almost 20,000 extra emergency department admissions. Outpatients, palliative care and mental health services will also be improved.
The new hospital will allow up to 17,000 western suburb residents each year to received treatment within their local community instead of needing to travel to other inner-city hospitals.
The project follows the $200 million Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital, which is due to open this year, and the $29.6 million expansion of the Sunshine Hospital emergency department.
“This bigger and better hospital will give Footscray’s hardworking doctors and nurses the modern facilities they deserve and need to do what they do best – keeping local families healthy and saving lives,” Mikakos said.
“This hospital will cut waiting times and take pressure off other Melbourne hospitals, so patients can get the world-class care they need faster and closer to home.”
Member for Footscray Katie Hall said the landmark hospital will transform Footscray and Melbourne’s west into a vibrant health and education hub.
“More and more families are calling Melbourne’s western suburbs home every day so we’re building a new state-of-the-art new Footscray Hospital to meet growing demand,” Halls said.