Government delivers Box Hill Hospital redevelopment
Melbourne’s eastern suburbs will benefit from improved, innovative health care as part of the Box Hill Hospital redevelopment project, Premier Denis Napthine announced today.
Construction has now been completed on a new 52,000m2 building – the first stage of the $447.5 million redevelopment.
“This newly completed building will house all of Box Hill Hospital’s acute inpatient and day patient facilities, women’s and children’s services, and specialist cancer and renal inpatients’ facilities,” Dr Napthine said.
“The building will also house a new 47-place emergency department, with an adjacent 20-bed short-stay unit.”
The new Box Hill Hospital includes:
- capacity for 200 additional beds;
- a larger and more efficient emergency department;
- a dedicated women’s service, linked to the children’s ward;
- 11 new operating theatres;
- a new 18-bed intensive care unit; and
- specialist cardiology services.
“This means Box Hill Hospital will be able to provide even better care and services for families in Melbourne’s east, both now and into the future,” Dr Napthine said.
Dr Napthine said the project was an excellent example of the Victorian Coalition Government delivering value for money for Victorian taxpayers, while also generating about 1,300 construction jobs.
“The Box Hill Hospital redevelopment is part of more than $4.5 billion of health infrastructure investment underway across the state, including the $250 million Monash Children’s Hospital,” Dr Napthine said.
Joining the Premier, Minister for Health David Davis said the Box Hill redevelopment will begin treating its first patients in late September.
“Not only is this state-of-the-art hospital on budget and well ahead of schedule, we made substantial savings through our investment strategy enabling us to increase the scope of the project,” Mr Davis said.
“This included an additional floor and a new kitchen capable of feeding more than 600 patients.
“As Eastern Health’s largest hospital, with 3,000 staff, the new Box Hill Hospital will now be able to care for around 10,000 more people each year from Melbourne’s east.
“Eastern Health is receiving increased funding for 2014-15 – up by $33.31 million, or 5.3%, on what it received in the previous year.”
Mr Davis thanked construction company Lend Lease Buildings, which has a proven track record of building state-of-the-art hospitals and is now building the Monash Children’s Hospital.
“The Government was also able to drive a good bargain, getting an extra floor for Box Hill Hospital for the same price,” Mr Davis said.
Member for Mitcham Dee Ryall said this was an exciting time for the community and for the clinicians and staff of Box Hill Hospital.
“The new facilities, including increased bed numbers, a much larger emergency department and cardiac catheter lab, mean the environment for giving and receiving treatment is state-of-the-art and will meet our needs now and into the future,” Ms Ryall said.
Member for Forest Hill Neil Angus said the project had been one of the biggest developments in the eastern suburbs.
“The redeveloped hospital will support families of the eastern suburbs with greater access to quality health care today and in the future,” Mr Angus said.
The redevelopment is one of several key health infrastructure projects underway, including:
- The $1.1 billion Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Parkville;
- The $630 million Bendigo Hospital redevelopment;
- Over $200 million in additional hospital capacity in the Geelong region; and
- Major redevelopments at Frankston and Northern hospitals.
Source: News Release Premier Denis Napthine 12 August 2014