Base hospital gets further funding

PREMIER Daniel Andrews has announced a funding package aimed at supporting Victoria’s health system, and the Ballarat Base Hospital is in line to benefit.

The move came after Mr Andrews visited the hospital last week to see the progress of ongoing renovations.

As part of the effort, described as “ongoing plan to reinforce health services”, the Base is one of 12 hospitals receiving a share of $162 million statewide, and Mr Andrews said the site’s redevelopment makes ideal candidate for the money.

“[Ballarat Base Hospital is] not just one of the biggest health redevelopments in regional Victoria, it’s in fact one of the biggest health redevelopments in Australia,” he said.

“[It’s] a really significant project for patients, a significant project also for the staff that work at Ballarat Base Hospital.

“Those that have got the busiest EDs are going to benefit from these additional staff, from this additional funding and from this additional focus on those practical common sense things.”

The money will be used to provide extra staff and resources, with in the hope of decreasing pressure on the hospital’s emergency department as a result of the ongoing pandemic and increasing cases of flu.

It will also introduce virtual triage technology while expanding the online service’s capacity to accommodate up to 500 patients a day.

The hospital’s $541 million redevelopment includes a new emergency department, theatre suites and 100 inpatient beds.

Grampians Health CEO Dale Fraser said the additional staff will support the redevelopment’s expansion.

“I’m delighted with this government’s ongoing interest and commitment in Ballarat,” he said.

“As [Mr Andrews] said, the building is built with a plan for expansion and I’m delighted that five short years after that conversation, we’ve got the space being used for the intended purposes.

“We’re looking for our [post-university] cohort this year… [that will] come in job-ready. The Premier also described an expansion to nursing placements.

“All those things add up to a capacity for the future.”