A NEW hub for surgeries in Geelong is the first of its kind outside Melbourne and will help reduce pressure on the waiting list for procedures.<\/p>\n
The $5 million Rapid Access Hub is located inside University Hospital Geelong and will provide a range of specialist services, including general surgery as well as plastic surgery, ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery, and dental procedures.<\/p>\n
It is expected to allow more than 700 procedures to move out of the hospital’s main theatres, creating more capacity for both emergency and planned surgery.<\/p>\n
Rapid Access Hubs have already been established in Sandringham Hospital, Broadmeadows Hospital, Werribee Mercy Hospital, St Vincent’s on the Park and the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital.<\/p>\n
The final two hubs will open at the Royal Women’s Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas, who visited the Geelong Rapid Access Hub on Thursday last week, said the hubs were part of the Victorian government’s $1.5 billion COVID Catch Up Plan.<\/p>\n
“The philosophy of this clinic enables the multidisciplinary teams to see and treat patients in one go,” she said.<\/p>\n
“What we know in the past has been that people might come in for an initial appointment and then they’ll have a diagnosis, and then they might come back for another appointment, or indeed they’ll get referred to a surgery list.<\/p>\n
“What’s happening here at this specialist clinic is that patients can come in… and be able to be seen and treated at the same time.”<\/p>\n
She said the addition of the Rapid Access Hub alongside the hospital’s Youang Surgery Centre meant Barwon Health could deliver up to 2,300 extra surgeries each year.<\/p>\n
ENT surgeon Michael Borschmann said Barwon Health’s ENT team was excited about the possibilities presented by the new hub.<\/p>\n
“We hope to even work together with general practice and the emergency department to deliver timely and efficient healthcare for the growing needs we’ve got in this region.<\/p>\n
“We hope to be able to have rapid access for patients straight from the community with more urgent but not life-threatening things who would otherwise spend a lot of time waiting in the emergency department.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A NEW hub for surgeries in Geelong is the first of its kind outside Melbourne and will help reduce pressure on the waiting list for procedures. The $5 million Rapid Access Hub is located inside University Hospital Geelong and will provide a range of specialist services, including general surgery as well as plastic surgery, ear, […]<\/p>\n