Mildura and Northern Mallee locals will receive better care, closer to home under a new commitment by Jess Wilson’s Liberal and Nationals team to expand and upgrade Mildura Base Public Hospital.
Mildura Base Public Hospital is the major public referral health service for the Northern Mallee and parts of South Australia and New South Wales, yet under Labor, investment has not kept pace with demand.
Currently, the Mildura Base Public Hospital emergency department (ED) sees more than 30,000 patients annually. Recent Victorian Agency for Health Information (VAHI) data confirms the proportion of patients remaining within the ED for more than 24 hours is almost four times higher than the average waiting time in Victorian public hospital EDs.
Ensuring all Victorians have access to quality and timely healthcare is a top priority for our team, and a future Wilson Liberal and Nationals Government will deliver a $180 million upgrade for Mildura Base Public Hospital, including:
- An expanded emergency department with an additional 18 beds.
- A new Medical Assessment and Planning Unit to provide rapid assessment, diagnosis and short-term care for patients diverted from the emergency department.
- A new 30 bed acute ward to support admissions and improve patient flow.
- New modular accommodation of 80 rooms to help recruit and retain staff, including nursing graduates and medical students on clinical placements, as well as allied health and visiting specialists and surgeons.
Works on this project will commence within the first term of an elected Liberal and Nationals Government.
Leader of the Opposition, Jess Wilson, said: “Ensuring all Victorians have access to timely and quality healthcare is a top priority for my team.
“This commitment provides the necessary resources to ensure delivery of emergency care for Victorians across the northern Mallee and will support Mildura Base Public Hospital’s healthcare workforce to continue their outstanding work.”
Shadow Minister for Health, Georgie Crozier, said: “Mildura Base Public Hospital is a leading healthcare provider for this region, but under Labor, investment has not kept pace with demand.
“Only a Liberal and Nationals Government will deliver an expanded emergency department at Mildura Base Public Hospital and ensure locals can access the quality emergency care they deserve.
Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, said: “This announcement is great news for Mildura and the tri-state area that our hospital services. To make a solid commitment to upgrading our hospital is another example of how only a Liberal and Nationals Government will guarantee Mildura people their fair share.
“Mildura has been largely ignored for too long when it comes to basic government services and this would help close what has been a big and unfair gap between the city and the regions for far too long.”
