Cranbourne Community Hospital

The Community hospitals program aims to achieve the following benefits:

Better services closer to home

The Victorian Government is investing more than $800 million to deliver 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 new 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 Mernda and Point Cook
• relocation and expansion of existing health services on a new site at Cranbourne and Pakenham
• upgrades or expansion of existing health services at Craigieburn, Phillip Island, and Sunbury.

Managed by Monash Health, the Cranbourne Community Hospital will be an expansion of services currently offered at Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre and built on a new site.

The site infrastructure allows for a range of services to be delivered once fully operational, including:

• integrated community health services
• after-hours urgent care
• day surgery (e.g. cataract and other eye procedures)
• specialist appointments
• diagnostic services, including pathology and imaging
• pharmacy services
• mental health services
• alcohol and other drug support services
• dialysis and support for both home patients and those that receive centre-based dialysis
• community-based palliative care services
• allied health and rehabilitation services
• public dental services.

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.

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

The consultative committee included:

• 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 Cranbourne CCC was chaired by Pauline Richards MP, Member for Cranbourne.

What is a community hospital?

Community hospitals are small public hospitals. With extended hours to provide day and after-hours services, community hospitals will 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.

About the Cranbourne Community Hospital

What health service provider will manage the Cranbourne Community Hospital?

Monash Health will manage the Cranbourne Community Hospital. Monash Health is the major provider of acute, maternity, sub-acute and specialist services in south-eastern Melbourne. More information on Monash Health can be found on their website.

What services will the Cranbourne Community Hospital provide?

The Cranbourne Community Hospital will expand the services currently offered at the Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre.

The site infrastructure allows for a range of services to be delivered once fully operational, including:

• integrated community health services
• after-hours urgent care
• day surgery (e.g. cataract and other eye procedures)
• specialist appointments
• diagnostic services, including pathology and imaging
• pharmacy services
• mental health services
• alcohol and other drug support services
• dialysis and support for both home patients and those that receive centre-based dialysis
• community-based palliative care services
• allied health and rehabilitation services
• public dental services.

Where will the Cranbourne Community Hospital be located?

The Cranbourne Community Hospital will be located at 65 Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Cranbourne East. The services provided at the new site will expand those currently provided by Monash Health at the Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre.

Why was this location selected for the Cranbourne Community Hospital?

This location was chosen for the Cranbourne Community Hospital as it is home to a variety of complementary community services and facilities. This means the local community can access a larger range of services at an already familiar and central location.

The Victorian Health Building Authority assessed the site against an extensive site evaluation criteria, which is uniform across the community hospitals program.

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

The Cranbourne 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 Cranbourne Community Hospital.

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

The committee included members from the City of Casey, health service providers, Aboriginal representation, community members selected by an independent expression of interest process, and a limited number of invited community members. The committee provided local perspectives and advice on a range of issues relating to the project.

The community hospitals program as a whole is also informed by user groups and tailored engagement with identified key groups. This included people with lived experience, First Nations and culturally diverse communities.

What is a community consultative committee?

Community consultative committees are a forum for discussion between government, locals and other stakeholders on a particular project. They provide a space where people can share their ideas, feedback and concerns on a project, and where they can be kept up-to-date with how the project is going.

Traffic, parking and access

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

All hospital visitors and vehicles will enter from Berwick-Cranbourne Road, with parking available close to the hospital entry. Patients and visitors arriving on foot will be able to access the facility via extended footpaths along Berwick-Cranbourne Road. Routes 897 and 981 stop nearby providing public transport access to the facility from Berwick-Cranbourne Road.

Will the hospital be accessible for people with limited mobility?

Accessibility is a key principle in designing a community hospital.

The Cranbourne Community Hospital will provide 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 Disability Discrimination Act compliant and designed with accessibility in mind.

Are there plans to manage increased traffic in the area?

Yes. The Victorian Health Building Authority first undertook a preliminary parking and traffic analysis as part of the site evaluation process to understand the impact and determine the suitability of the site. We’ve since conducted a second, more detailed traffic and parking analysis. This formed the basis for our traffic and parking management plan. This plan helped determine the number of parking spaces required, and will help prepare for any potential traffic management measures.

Will Berwick-Cranbourne Road be upgraded to cope with extra traffic in the area?

Yes. Major Road Projects Victoria is duplicating Berwick-Cranbourne Road as part of the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade. The Victorian Health Building Authority has partnered with Major Road Projects Victoria to include a signalised intersection for the hospital as part of this project, ensuring easy and safe access to the facility for patients, visitors and staff.

Will ambulances and large vehicles servicing the hospital cause safety and congestion issues on nearby streets?

The Cranbourne Community Hospital will not have an emergency department, so there will be no ambulance vehicles transporting patients to the community hospital. In some instances, an ambulance may be called to transfer a patient from the community hospital to a major hospital emergency department.

Throughout the construction period, the Victorian Health Building Authority will work with the City of Casey and local stakeholders to address any potential traffic and congestion issues on surrounding streets.

Have the impacts to parking been considered?

Yes. The Victorian Health Building Authority first undertook a preliminary parking and traffic analysis as part of the site evaluation process to understand the impact and determine the suitability of the site. We’ve since conducted a second, more detailed traffic and parking analysis. This formed the basis for our traffic and parking management plan. This plan helped determine the number of parking spaces required, and will help prepare for any potential traffic management measures.

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

Parking arrangements (including fees) at the Cranbourne Community Hospital will be at the discretion of the operating health services, Monash Health.

Design

What does the Cranbourne Community Hospital look like?

The Cranbourne 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, main reception and waiting area, and public courtyard have been carefully considered to create a safe environment where people of all backgrounds can feel welcome. This was a key priority of the community identified through consultation. Waiting and reception areas have been designed to ‘bring the outside in’ through plenty of natural light and native planting that is visible from inside the facility.

The design process was guided by design principles developed in partnership with Monash Health clinicians, staff and consumers, and with input from the Cranbourne Community Hospital community consultative committee.

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

In the early stages of the project, the Cranbourne Community Hospital project team established a community consultative committee (CCC). This acted as a forum for members in the community to participate in the planning and development phase. During the design consultation process, we received some great ideas and suggestions. The architects have incorporated some of these into the design.

Clinical and staff spaces have been designed with input from user groups and Monash Health to ensure they are functional safe spaces for both staff and patients.

How many storeys is the the building?

The Cranbourne Community Hospital is three-storeys in height.

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

• Monash Health (managing health service)
• HDR in partnership with Design Inc (architects)
• Hutchinson Builders (early works)
• Lendlease (managing contractor – main works).