New site in hospital’s sights

A “STATE of the art” paediatric and rehabilitation centre will be established at Bendigo Health’s old hospital site.

The development comes as Bendigo Health starts work on its new three-year strategic plan, which launches in 2022.

CEO of Bendigo Health Bob Cameron said he encourages members of the public to complete the community survey to help shape the strategic plan.

“[Last time] the community told us they wanted us to make the best use of the hospital, improve services, continue to build services,” he said. “We’re now the regional centre of excellence in cancer care and last year in heart care.

“We became a 24/7 heart hospital and one of the things we’d love to see in this next plan is to become a regional centre of excellence in paediatric care.”

Wendy Millar is the manager of outpatient rehabilitation service at Bendigo Health and said it’ll be great to see the inactive site, which hasn’t been used for four years, be refurbished.

“We want more services to be able to be delivered here in Bendigo, and in particular we want more services to be able to be delivered to younger children,” she said.

“Particularly children with cerebral palsy because we know that makes a big difference in the long run.

“It allows those children to grow into functioning adults that can be part of the community, and that’s got to be good for everyone in the long run.”

A key aspect of the new space will be making children therapy services fun and engaging.

“A lot of focus is going to be around play-based therapy because that’s how kids do their work and rehabilitation, it’s through play,” Ms Millar said.

“We’re going to have some fabulous new play spaces that will be therapy spaces and that’s really inviting for kids to be a part of that’s their motivation.”

The refurbishments will start before Christmas and take a year to be completed.

To have your say on Bendigo Health’s strategic plan, the survey is available until 16 June at at bendigohealth.org.au/plansurvey.