The Latrobe Regional Hospital Stage 2 expansion aimed to provide the following benefits:
Gippsland’s first cardiac catheterisation laboratory
The Latrobe Regional Hospital Stage 2 expansion has delivered the first cardiac catheterisation laboratory for Gippsland. The new cath lab will provide lifesaving treatment for people experiencing heart disease. Instead of being transferred to Melbourne, Gippsland residents can now receive cardiac treatment in Gippsland.
More health services
Latrobe Regional Hospital is Gippsland’s base for orthopaedic, medical oncology, radiology and pathology services. This expansion increases the hospital’s capacity to provide more health services to the region. This includes complex medical and surgical services with access to a network of visiting Melbourne-based specialists.
Treating more patients, closer to home
The expansion provides an additional 30 acute inpatient beds and 12 short stay beds and increases the hospital’s emergency department capacity. This means more patients can be treated and cared for closer to home. That means more people in Gippsland can access the specialist care they need and minimises pressure on hospitals in Melbourne.
Building a regional health workforce
Investment in expanding Latrobe Regional Hospital will also help attract health professionals to the area. Attracting more doctors and nurses to the area helps to develop a rural and regional health workforce.
Local economy
The Latrobe Regional Hospital Stage 2 expansion created 600 jobs whilst the project was in construction.