Mental Health Beds Expansion Program

The Mental Health Beds Expansion Program will deliver:

• a combination of hospital-based and home-based acute mental health beds
• increased clinical consulting areas
• more staff and support areas.

New acute mental health beds and services will be delivered at the following locations:

• 52 beds at Sunshine Hospital - 176 Furlong Rd, St Albans
• 30 beds at Northern Hospital - 185 Cooper St, Epping
• 22 beds at Royal Melbourne Hospital - 300 Grattan St, Parkville
• 16 beds at McKellar Centre - 45-95 Ballarat Rd, North Geelong
• 15 new beds (35 in total) at Goulbourn Valley Hospital - 2/2-48 Graham St, Shepparton
• 32 beds at Footscray Hospital
• 25 beds at Melton Hospital
• Five beds at Warrnambool Hospital
• Four beds at Frankston Hospital.

The home-based beds will be delivered by Barwon Health and Orygen Youth Health.

The Mental Health Beds Expansion Program aims to achieve the following benefits:

More acute mental health beds

More capacity to provide timely and improved access for people experiencing mental illness who require immediate treatment in a contemporary, safe and high-quality setting.

Contemporary mental healthcare

Deliver facilities that support safe and modern mental health care, providing more support for consumers presenting at emergency departments who need dedicated clinical care. Modern, responsive facilities will provide high quality care to consumers and promote recovery.

Experience-led design process

People with a variety of views and perspectives are being engaged to inform the facility and service designs. This includes people with lived experience of mental illness, such as consumers, families and carers, as well as medical, nursing and allied health professionals and other staff.

Implementing recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System

The new acute mental health capacity is being urgently delivered in response to the critical need identified by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

This program is being delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with these organisations:

Northern Hospital partners

• Mental Health Reform Victoria (MHRV)
• Northern Health
• The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s NorthWestern Mental Health
• NTC Architects (principal consultant)
• NH Architecture
• Lendlease Building (managing contractor)
• Modscape (modular contractor).

Sunshine Hospital partners

• Mental Health Reform Victoria (MHRV)
• Western Health
• The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s NorthWestern Mental Health
• NTC Architects (principal consultant)
• NH Architecture
• Lendlease Building (managing contractor)
• Grove (modular contractor).

The Royal Melbourne Hospital partners

• Mental Health Reform Victoria (MHRV)
• Melbourne Health
• NorthWestern Mental Health
• NTC Architects (principal consultant)
• NH Architecture
• Lendlease Building (managing contractor).

McKellar Centre partners

• Mental Health Reform Victoria (MHRV)
• Barwon Health
• NTC Architects (principal consultant)
• BG Architecture
• Lendlease Building (managing contractor)
• Modscape (modular contractor).

Why do we need more acute mental health beds?

The Victorian Government is responding to a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System through the urgent delivery of more acute mental health facilities and services.

These services will address critical demand issues by increasing capacity, reducing pressure on emergency departments, and providing additional support for people experiencing mental illness who require immediate treatment.

More acute mental health beds and services will mean more access for people experiencing severe mental illness, taking the pressure off other public health services.

What level of care will be provided?

Increased hospital-based care will be provided for people experiencing mental illness who require immediate treatment in a contemporary, safe and high-quality hospital setting.

Home-based services will enable some consumers to recover at home, or in a community residence, so they can remain more connected to their family, friends and community-based supports.

Who will be supported by these new services?

Severe mental illness affects a range of people from different family, cultural, economic and social backgrounds. The new facilities and services will provide people with better access to mental health services and support and reduce pressure on emergency departments.

What is going to be different about the new hospital-based facilities?

The new facilities are being designed with input from people with lived experience of mental illness such as consumers, families and carers, as well as medical, nursing and allied health professionals and staff.

The facilities will look and feel less like a hospital and provide access to shared internal and outdoor spaces for social, therapeutic and recreational activities to support consumers’ changing needs throughout their stay.

Where is the project up to?

The project is now in the final design development phase, which is where we plan how to effectively equip and decorate spaces to deliver the best possible patient experience.

Who are you consulting with?

We’re committed to engaging people with a variety of views and perspectives during the project. This includes people with lived experience of mental illness and their carers, medical, nursing and allied health professionals and care staff. We’re taking on their views in an experience-led design process to ensure they inform important aspects of the project.

We’re also working in partnership with both health and mental health services. Our partners are a central part of our consultation process and will participate in project planning, including the development of the designs for each facility and service.