Craigieburn Community Hospital

The Community hospitals program aims to achieve the following benefits:

Better services closer to home

The Victorian Government is investing $675 million to develop 10 community hospitals in major growth areas across Victoria. These facilities will provide more locally available public healthcare options and better access to important everyday health services close to home.

Services will be tailored to each community and may include urgent care services, day surgery for minor procedures, public dental and specialist appointments.

Stronger links to specialist care

Community hospitals will also help keep local communities healthy by providing links to other local healthcare providers including GPs, allied health services, specialists, social services and major hospitals if more complex care is required.

Reduce pressure on major hospitals

Community hospitals will also reduce pressure on major public hospitals and emergency departments. This will assist major hospitals to focus on critical care, complex health issues and surgeries, emergencies and trauma while our community hospitals support locals to manage their everyday health needs and access community services.

Meeting increased demand

As Victoria’s population grows and healthcare needs change, community hospitals will help meet increasing demand for public health services in major Victorian growth areas.

Once complete, the ten community hospitals will have the capacity to treat at least 114,000 more urgent care patients each year. They’ll support 55,000 dialysis treatments and enable more than 100,000 additional allied health sessions each year.

The program will support:

• new developments in the City of Whittlesea, Eltham area, Point Cook and Emerald Hill
• relocate and expand existing health services on a new site at Cranbourne, Pakenham and Torquay
• upgrade or expand existing health services at Craigieburn, Phillip Island, and Sunbury.

The Craigieburn Community Hospital will be managed by Northern Health and expand services currently provided by the Craigieburn Centre. It will offer:

• urgent care services
• specialist appointments
• day surgery
• renal dialysis
• rehabilitation support
• day chemotherapy
• diagnostic services, including medical imaging and pathology
• pharmacy
• allied health services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, speech pathology, audiology, dietetics, social work, psychology and counselling
• mental health services
• alcohol and other drug support services
• women’s health
• paediatric services
• chronic disease management
• public dental
• health screening.

Strong links to specialists, community health providers and social support services will ensure more seamless follow-up treatment and support for those who require complex care.

We value community and stakeholder input and are committed to keeping the public informed on the Community hospitals program.

We work closely with key stakeholders across the health sector and local government. We aim to deliver functional and efficient health facilities that are fit-for-purpose, inclusive and that meet community needs.

Our engagement program includes:

• user groups
• working groups
• surveys
• workshops
• tailored engagement with identified key groups, including people with lived experience, Traditional Owners groups and culturally diverse communities.

We’ve established community consultative committees (CCC) to ensure the views and aspirations of the community are considered in the planning and design for each community hospital. Committees are made up of a diverse cross-section of community members, local service providers and organisations who provide a local perspective and considered advice on a range of issues relating to the project.

Our engagement reports provide a summary of the community’s feedback and key priorities at each phase of the project.

View our community engagement report on the service planning phase.

We are in the process of collecting community feedback and input on the design for each community hospital and will share community consultation reports soon.

To stay up-to-date with the program, sign up to our Community Hospital newsletter.

The Craigieburn Community Hospital community consultative committee (CCC) provides a forum for local community members to participate in the planning and development of the project through open dialogue and consultation.

The consultative committee includes:

• foundation members from key organisations such as local councils
• health service providers and Aboriginal representation
• community members selected through an independent expression of interest process.

The Craigieburn CCC is co-chaired by Ros Spence MP, Member for Yuroke and Sheena Watt MP.

Meeting summaries can be found on the Community Hospitals community consultative committee meeting summaries page.

What is a community hospital?

Community hospitals are small public hospitals. With extended hours to provide day and after-hours services, community hospitals provide a range of everyday health services, which may include:

• urgent care service for common minor injuries and illnesses
• day medical services such as chemotherapy and renal dialysis
• day surgery for procedures such as cataract removal, major dental work, gynaecological procedures, colonoscopies and other minor surgical procedures that do not require an overnight stay
• treatment and support for chronic health issues including mental health, alcohol and other drugs, pain management, diabetes and respiratory problems
• family services including child and maternal health, family safety and women’s health
• pathology, pharmacy and diagnostic imaging such as blood tests and x‑rays
• public dental services.

Community hospitals will be located in major growth areas across Victoria and will provide people with better access to many important everyday health services closer to home.

Where will the new Craigieburn Community Hospital be located?  

The Craigieburn Community Hospital will be an expansion of the Northern Health Craigieburn Centre located at 274-304 Craigieburn Rd, Craigieburn.

What services will the Craigieburn Community Hospital provide?

The Craigieburn Community Hospital will expand the services the Craigieburn Centre currently provides. The community hospital will offer a range of public services including:

• urgent care services
• specialist appointments
• day surgery
• renal dialysis
• rehabilitation support
• day chemotherapy
• diagnostic services, including medical imaging and pathology
• pharmacy
• allied health services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, speech pathology, audiology, dietetics, social work, psychology and counselling
• mental health services
• alcohol and other drug support services
• women’s health
• paediatric services
• chronic disease management
• public dental
• health screening.

What is the construction timeline for the Craigieburn Community Hospital?

Lendlease will lead construction on the Craigieburn Community Hospital.

Construction is expected to begin in 2022 and be completed in 2024.

Which health service provider will manage the Craigieburn Community Hospital?

Northern Health will manage Craigieburn Community Hospital. Northern Health is a major provider of acute, sub-acute and specialist services in outer north Melbourne.

More information on Northern Health can be found on their website.

Will the hospital be open 24/7 and will there be overnight beds?

The Craigieburn Community Hospital will operate extended business hours. It will not operate 24 hours 7 days a week and it will not accommodate overnight stays. It will provide urgent care services for people experiencing non-emergency medical issues such as the bumps, cuts and bruises associated with everyday life.

Will there be an emergency department?

No. People will be able to attend the facility for minor bumps and bruises and non-emergency care. People experiencing a medical emergency should visit their nearest emergency department.

How was the community consulted on this project?

We value community and stakeholder input and are committed to keeping the public informed about the Craigieburn Community Hospital.

In the early stages of the project, a community consultative committee was established. This was to ensure the views and aspirations of the local community are considered in the planning and design for the Craigieburn Community Hospital.

The committee includes:

• members from the Council
• health service providers
• community members selected by an independent expression of interest process
• a limited number of invited community members.

The committee provides local perspectives and advice on a range of issues relating to the project.

The community hospitals program  is also informed by user groups and tailored engagement with identified key groups, including people with lived experience.

Traffic, parking and access

Where will the entrance to the Craigieburn Community Hospital be located?

The entrance to Craigieburn Community Hospital will be from Craigieburn Road and a new entrance created at Lygon Drive.

Will the hospital be accessible for people with limited mobility?

Accessibility is a key principle in designing a community hospital facility. The Craigieburn Community Hospital will provide on grade car parking with accessible access to the hospital for people with disabilities or who are elderly or frail.

Consulting spaces, waiting rooms and amenities within the facility will be DDA compliant and designed with accessibility in mind.

Are there plans to manage increased traffic and impacts to parking in the area?

Yes. The Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) undertook a detailed traffic and parking analysis, which formed the basis for our traffic and parking management plan. This plan helped determine the number of parking spaces required and prepare for any potential traffic management measures.

Throughout the construction period, the VHBA will work with local stakeholders to address any potential traffic and congestion issues on surrounding streets.

Adequate onsite parking will be provided to support the parking demand generated by the community hospital, without reliance on surrounding streets.

Design

What will the Craigieburn Community Hospital look like?

The Craigieburn Community Hospital has been designed with the local character in mind to achieve a respectful, integrated design that is fit-for-purpose.

The facility’s exteriors, patient and staff areas, have been carefully considered to create safe and serene environments for patients, family members and staff.

The design process was guided by design principles developed in partnership with Northern Health clinicians, staff and consumers. The Craigieburn Community Hospital Community Consultative Committee also had input into the design.

How was the community’s feedback considered in the design?

In the early stages of the project, a community consultative committee was established. This helped ensure the views and aspirations of the local community are considered in the planning and design for the Craigieburn Community Hospital.

The use of Indigenous planting to soften the building, warm colours and plenty of natural light are examples of priorities that the architects took on board.

How many storeys will the building be?

The Craigieburn Community Hospital will be two storeys high. This will help ensure health services can be delivered in a functional and efficient layout. The project architects will make sure the building is not imposing and matches the character of the surrounding area.

Construction

When will construction begin?

Construction on the Craigieburn Community Hospital commenced in late 2022.

How will construction impacts be managed to minimise disruption and impacts to nearby residents?

The appointed contractors will work closely with VHBA to minimise construction impacts on the community. This includes:

• noise and vibration monitoring
• noise control measures in accordance with Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Council
• imposed noise guidelines
• dust suppression measures
• use of clear construction signage.

When will the project be completed?

The Craigieburn Community Hospital is on track for completion in 2024.

This project is being delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with:

• Northern Health (managing health service)
• HDR in partnership with Design Inc (architects)
• Lendlease (managing contractor).