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Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital

Location 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Victoria, 3021, Australia

The $200 million Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital, on the Sunshine Hospital site, opened in May 2019 to meet the demand for world-class maternity and paediatric services in Melbourne’s west.

Named after Victoria’s first female premier, the new hospital allows more women to give birth locally. It gives families better access to vital children’s services – closer to home.

The hospital has nine floors and during construction, enough concrete was used to fill nearly four Olympic size swimming pools. It has 20 maternity delivery rooms, 237 beds, 39 special care nursery cots, four theatres and additional clinics.

The hospital also has the western suburbs’ first ever neonatal intensive care unit to care for the most critically ill babies.

20
20

DELIVERY ROOMS

39
39

SPECIAL CARE COTS

64
64

WOMEN'S INPATIENT BEDS

32
32

CHILDREN'S INPATIENT BEDS

The new 237-bed Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital is a multi-storey facility with: 

  • 20 labour delivery rooms 
  • 39 special care nursery cots 
  • 64 women's inpatient beds 
  • 32 children's inpatient beds 
  • four operating theatres  
  • additional outpatient clinics. 

As part of the project, 55 existing acute adult inpatient beds at Sunshine Hospital were refurbished. 

The Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital project aimed to achieve the following benefits:

More people can receive care

This project consolidated inpatient and outpatient women’s and children’s services at Western Health. This allows more women in Melbourne’s west to give birth closer to home and provides better access to vital children’s services.

With a total of 237 beds in new and refurbished areas, the project delivered an increase of maternity and paediatric beds. The development also freed up existing beds and facilities at Sunshine Hospital, increasing capacity for other patients.

Easily accessed

Located on the Sunshine Hospital site between the hydrotherapy pool and the radiotherapy centre, the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital is easy to access with clear visibility from both the Western Ring Road and Furlong Road.

Meeting future demand

At nine floors, Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital is the tallest building on the Sunshine Hospital site. It was designed to be flexible to ensure it can easily be adapted to meet future healthcare needs. This gives Western Health the room they need to grow and meet future demand.

More local jobs

The new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital created more than 400 new jobs, including:

  • 150 jobs in nursing and midwifery
  • many new positions for medical staff, patient services assistants, pharmacists, imaging technicians and allied health
  • health support roles such as environmental services, maintenance, and security.

During construction, the project also created up to 600 jobs in Melbourne’s rapidly growing western region.

This project was delivered by the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority in partnership with:

  • Western Health
  • Lyons (architect)
  • Lendlease (builder).

Please note: As of 1 February 2021, the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority (VHHSBA) became the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA).

News

A neonatal intensive care unit nurse standing in front of hospital equipment

26 November 2021

It’s Thank U NICU Day!

November 26 is THANK U NICU Day, a national day to celebrate the teams who care for our most vulnerable newborns.
News
VHHSBA-Health-Joan-Kirner-promo.

15 May 2019

Mums and newborns move into the new Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hosp...

From today, mums and newborn babies can access world-class maternity and paediatric care after moving into the Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital.
News
VHHSBA-Health-Joan-Kirner-promo

05 May 2019

Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital officially opened

With construction of the $200m Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital complete, families in Melbourne's west can access specialist care closer to home.
News
Joan-Kirner-thumbnail-632x246

04 May 2019

Video story: The Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital

The new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital provides world-class care to women and children in Melbourne’s west.
News
VHHSBA-Health-JKWCH-Mar2019-Ministers-tour-promo

14 March 2019

An additional 150 nurses and midwives for Joan Kirner Women's and Children'...

The new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital will employ an additional 150 nurses and midwives, meaning stronger carer to patient ratios.
News
VHHSBA-Health-JKWCH-midwives-tour-promo

14 February 2019

Nurses and midwives tour new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital

A group of 50 nurses and midwives from Sunshine Hospital had their very first look inside the new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital on Monday.
News
VHHSBA-Health-JKWCH-Joy-sculpture-promo

09 October 2018

Inspiring artworks unveiled at the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospi...

Two new, inspiring commemorative artworks have been unveiled at the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
News
VHHSBA-Health-Joan-Kirner-Women-and-Chidlrens-hospital-cranes-complete-promo

27 August 2018

Cranes come down at the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Cranes have come down at the new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital, bringing the specialist maternity and paediatric hospital a step closer to opening.
News
VHHSBA-Health-Joan-Kirner-Women-and-Childrens-Hospital-top-out-promo

02 May 2018

World-class hospital another step closer for Melbourne’s west

The upcoming Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Sunshine will address the needs of mums and children in Melbourne's rapidly growing west.
News
VHHSBA-Health-JKWCH-group-photo-promo

13 February 2018

Women in the west

The Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital redevelopment features one of the biggest female-led teams working on a hospital project.
News
VHHSBA-News-Sunshine-mural-promo

20 November 2017

What does a healthy, happy community look like?

As part of the new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital development, kids in the west were asked what a healthy, happy community looks like.
News
Joan-Kirner-thumbnail-632x246

20 November 2017

Painting the school white (and blue, and yellow, and green and pink!)

Western Health and Lendlease workers shared a paintbrush or two when they came together in St. Albans to brighten up a neighbour’s surroundings.
News
External facade of the Joan Kirner Women and Children's Hospital. Designed by Lyons Architects.

13 November 2017

New hospital named after the late Joan Kirner AC

The new $200 million women’s and children’s hospital currently under construction in St Albans has been fittingly named after the late Premier Joan Kirner AC.
News
Joan-Kirner-thumbnail-632x246

13 November 2017

Big Billy and Betty reach for the sky

The two massive cranes building the new $200 million Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital have been named Big Billy and Betty.
News

Location

Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital
  • Location
  • 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Victoria, 3021, Australia
  • Phone
  • (03) 8345 1616

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VHHSBA-Health-JKWCH-Mar2019-Ministers-tour-promo

14 March 2019

An additional 150 nurses and midwives for Joan Kirner Women's and Children'...

The new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital will employ an additional 150 nurses and midwives, meaning stronger carer to patient ratios.
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Mums and newborns move into the new Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hosp...

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News
VHHSBA-Health-JKWCH-midwives-tour-promo

14 February 2019

Nurses and midwives tour new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital

A group of 50 nurses and midwives from Sunshine Hospital had their very first look inside the new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital on Monday.
News
VHHSBA-Health-Joan-Kirner-promo

05 May 2019

Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital officially opened

With construction of the $200m Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital complete, families in Melbourne's west can access specialist care closer to home.
News
VHHSBA-Health-JKWCH-Joy-sculpture-promo

09 October 2018

Inspiring artworks unveiled at the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospi...

Two new, inspiring commemorative artworks have been unveiled at the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
News
VHHSBA-Health-Joan-Kirner-Women-and-Chidlrens-hospital-cranes-complete-promo

27 August 2018

Cranes come down at the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Cranes have come down at the new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital, bringing the specialist maternity and paediatric hospital a step closer to opening.
News
Last updated: 23 February 2024