Point Cook 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 health care 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.

The Point Cook Community Hospital will be managed by Western Health.

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

• diagnostic services, including pathology and imaging
• pharmacy services
• public dental services
• chronic disease management
• mental health services
• alcohol and other drug support services
• day surgery
• dialysis and support for both home patients and those that receive centre-based dialysis
• community-based palliative care, chemotherapy and rehabilitation
• general practice including primary care nursing
• women’s health
• family and early childhood services
• family safety and crisis support 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 Point Cook 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 Point Cook CCC was chaired by Mathew Hilakari MP, Member for Point Cook.

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 tailored for each community. Services 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 Point Cook Community Hospital be located?

The Point Cook Community Hospital will be a new development, built on a new site at 140 Dunnings Road, Point Cook.

What services will the Point Cook Community Hospital provide?

The site infrastructure for the Point Cook Community Hospital allows for a range of services to be delivered once fully operational, including:

• diagnostic services, including pathology and imaging
• pharmacy services
• public dental services
• chronic disease management
• mental health services
• alcohol and other drug support services
• day surgery
• dialysis and support for both home patients and those that receive centre-based dialysis
• community-based palliative care, chemotherapy and rehabilitation
• general practice including primary care nursing
• women’s health
• family and early childhood services
• family safety and crisis support 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.

Which health service provider will manage the Point Cook Community Hospital?

Western Health will manage the Point Cook Community Hospital. Western Health is a major provider of acute, maternity, and specialist services in western region of Melbourne. More information on Western Health can be found on their website.

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

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