Emerald Hill 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. They may include urgent care services, specialist appointments, child and family services, chronic and complex disease management, allied health and mental health services and specialist care.

Stronger links to specialist care

Community hospitals will also help keep local communities healthy by providing links to other local health care 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 take on at least 114,000 more urgent care patients, 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.

Emerald Hill Community Hospital will be managed by Alfred Health and provide a range of public health services including:

• general practice (GP)  
• mental health and alcohol and other drug services 
• women’s health services  
• child and family services 
• family safety and support services 
• palliative care services   
• chronic and complex disease management 
• community allied health and rehabilitation support.

Strong links to specialists, community health providers and social support services will ensure 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 to deliver functional and efficient health facilities that are fit-for-purpose, inclusive and meet community needs.

Our engagement program includes user groups, working groups, surveys, workshops and tailored engagement with identified key groups. These include people with lived experience, Traditional Owners groups and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

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

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.

Where will the Emerald Hill Community Hospital be located?

The Emerald Hill Community Hospital will be a new development, built on the corner of Dorcas and Moray Street, South Melbourne. 

What services will the Emerald Hill Community Hospital provide?

The Emerald Hill Community Hospital will provide a range of public health services including:

• general practice (GP)  
• mental health and alcohol and other drug services 
• women’s health services  
• child and family services 
• family safety and support services 
• palliative care services   
• chronic and complex disease management 
• community allied health and rehabilitation support.

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

What are the construction timelines for the Emerald Hill Community Hospital?

Construction is expected to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2025.

What health service provider will manage the Emerald Hill Community Hospital?

Alfred Health will manage the Emerald Hill Community Hospital in partnership with Star Health. Alfred Health is the major provider of acute, maternity, sub-acute and specialist services in Victoria with hospitals in Melbourne, Sandringham and Caulfield. More information on Alfred Health can be found on their website.

The initial plan was to build a community hospital in Fishermans Bend. Why has the project moved to Emerald Hill?

In 2018, the State Government committed to building ten community hospitals across Victoria.

One facility was initially earmarked for Fishermans Bend. However, further planning identified an opportunity to build a health facility in the nearby Emerald Hill housing precinct. Providing integrated health services close to where people live will deliver greater benefits to both the housing residents on site and the broader South Melbourne community.

The new Emerald Hill Community Hospital will serve the needs of the existing residential population and local community. It will also complement other services already available in the South Melbourne area.

This project is being jointly delivered by Homes Victoria and the Victorian Health Building Authority.

Alfred Health will manage the Emerald Hill Community Hospital in partnership with Star Health.