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

On 3 June 2020, the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority (VHHSBA) launched an Engage Victoria survey titled ‘Future healthcare in Melton’. This is a summary of the community engagement survey report findings which you can also view in PDF format.

The survey sought input about the healthcare services the Melton community use, what’s important to them and what they value in the future. The findings are helping to shape the business case for the proposed new Melton Hospital.

The survey ran for eight weeks, closing on 3 August 2020. VHHSBA received 1793 responses to the survey and 321 people signed up to receive updates about the project.

Summary of feedback received

Services

Most respondents (95 per cent) said that ‘emergency treatment’ was the most important service, followed by ‘access to specialist doctors’ (82 per cent) then ‘access to elective surgery’ (76 per cent).

Getting to and from the hospital

Most respondents (94 per cent) travelled by car to get to hospital, and it took more than a third (36 per cent) of respondents about 45 minutes to get there.

Features

When asked to consider the most important features of a hospital, most people ranked ‘quality of service’ as the most important, followed by ‘range of services’ then ‘prompt attention’.

Other community benefits

Most respondents (83 per cent) wanted to see ‘cafes and restaurants’ around the new hospital, followed by ‘gardens’ (76 per cent) then ‘community health services’ (73 per cent).

Project background

The Victorian Government is planning for a new hospital in Melton.

A business case to investigate the capacity and range of services offered at the new Melton Hospital is being developed and expected to be completed at the end of 2020. It will also identify how the facility will link into other hospitals in the region, including Western Health’s Footscray, Sunshine and Williamstown hospitals and Djerriwarrh Health Service’s Bacchus Marsh Regional Hospital.

Western Health, one of Victoria’s largest public health service providers, will operate the new cutting-edge 24-hour medical facility. Western Health delivers hospital and community-based services to more than 900,000 people across sites in Melbourne’s west.

Purpose of report

VHHSBA is committed to working closely with stakeholders and the community to ensure key issues are identified and views and aspirations are captured. This input is informing the business case, which is being developed to help shape plans for the proposed Melton Hospital.

By understanding the ideas and priorities of Melton and its surrounding communities, we can develop a business case for a new Melton Hospital that reflects the community it serves.

The scope of this report includes a summary of the feedback we received. The full report was presented to the Melton Hospital Project Team to inform the business case.

Community engagement

The Victorian Government values community input and is committed to keeping the local community involved and up to date as this project progresses.

Engagement objectives

The key consultation objectives were to:

• Raise awareness of the proposed new Melton Hospital planning process
• Seek to understand the key areas of concern for the community and stakeholders in relation to current healthcare services
• Provide the community with the opportunity to share their ideas and vision for a new Melton Hospital.

How we reached the community

To support the release and ongoing promotion of the ‘Future healthcare in Melton’ survey, VHHSBA:

• Developed a short, animated video to outline the project, planning process and community survey
• Utilised social media channels, with regular targeted posts to the Melton and surrounding community
• Worked closely with stakeholders including Melton City Council, Member for Melton Steve McGhie and Western Health to maximise reach through social media
• Advertised the survey in local newspapers
• Provided hard copies of the survey and promotional posters to Melton City Council and Member for Melton. Posters were translated into 10 different languages.

Planned face-to-face engagement was unable to proceed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

To stay informed about the new Melton Hospital, survey participants had the option to provide their email address and join the project’s mailing list to receive updates about the project.

Influencing the development of the new Melton Hospital

The feedback will ensure the business case for a new hospital in Melton reflects the experiences and ideas of the community it will serve.

The business case is a key tool to inform evidence-based investment decisions by the Victorian Government, and identifies the issues, potential solutions, costs and timeframes for the project.

The results of the community survey will help shape and inform the business case, which is currently in development and is expected to be completed later this year.

What we heard

Services

Most respondents (95 per cent) said that ‘emergency treatment’ was the most important service, followed by ‘access to specialist doctors’ (82 per cent) then ‘access to elective surgery’ (76 per cent). *Respondents could select more than one answer.

• 95% emergency treatment (Emergency Department)
• 82% access to specialist doctors
• 76% access to elective surgery

When asked to consider an additional hospital service that would make life better, the following ideas were provided:

• allied health services
• children’s health services
• mental health services
• maternity
• dental

Features

When asked to consider the most important features of a hospital, most people ranked ‘quality of service’ as the most important, followed by ‘range of services’ then ‘prompt attention’.

Respondents ranked the following features in order of importance:

1. Quality of service
2. Range of service
3. Prompt attention
4. Time to get an appointment

When asked to consider how they might access a new hospital, most people ranked that ‘providing all the services I need/my family needs in one place’ was the most important factor.

Respondents ranked the following in order of importance:

1. It provides all of the services I need/my family needs in one place
2. It’s open after normal business hours
3. It’s easy to get to by car
4. There is enough parking available

Other community benefits

Most respondents (83 per cent) wanted to see ‘cafes and restaurants’ around the new hospital, followed by ‘gardens’ (76 per cent) then ‘community health services’ (73 per cent).*Respondents could select more than one answer.

• 83% cafes and restaurants
• 76% gardens
• 73% community health services.

Additional comments

Most respondents (83 per cent) wanted to see ‘cafes and restaurants’ around the new hospital, followed by ‘gardens’ (76 per cent) then ‘community health services’ (73 per cent).*Respondents could select more than one answer. We also asked respondents if they had any additional comments to make about a new hospital for their community.

Some of the broad themes included:

• a new hospital for a growing community
• a safe and caring new hospital
• a hospital as a precinct.

A new hospital for a growing community

Some participants indicated they wanted a hospital that could expand as the population grows.

'Just BUILD IT! Melton is the second fastest growing community in AUSTRALIA... Start with an Emergency Unit and add to it as fast as possible. “Over-engineer” the first 2 storeys (with basement), so that extra levels & wings can be simply “built-on”'.

'When you build this hospital make sure it will service the Melton members there’s no point of build (sic) a semi hospital.'

A safe and caring new hospital

Many respondents commented that they hoped the hospital would provide care for their whole family. There were references to good family-friendly design that was welcoming for all ages.

Safety was often mentioned, including references to families feeling safe, access to safe parking, pandemic safety, availability of security and access to police.

'The hospital should be an inviting space, offering gardens, playgrounds, real air purifying plants inside each room.'

'…to create a pleasant hub where there is access to uplifting facilities for patients and families/carers to escape from often distressing treatment and diagnostic areas and relax.'

A hospital as a precinct

Several respondents referred to the hospital being embedded within a precinct, providing health, wellbeing and lifestyle services. Respondents suggested that this precinct should provide significant local employment opportunities.

'This project presents a tremendous opportunity to develop a Tertiary Health and teaching precinct so critically needed to service Melbourne’s Outer West. If a University hospital teaching department and ancillary health TAFE are included in the Hospital project, the local and surrounding areas’ youth will benefit tremendously.'

'A health Junction that includes hospital, health services, aquatic centre, garden, big play area with water areas for kids, sports facilities.'

What we’re doing next

Planning for a new Melton Hospital is continuing, and a business case to investigate the capacity and range of services is being developed.

The objective of developing a robust business case is to ensure resource allocation decisions are well timed, offer value for money and consider and mitigate risks.

The business case is expected to be delivered at the end of 2020.

To receive updates about the new Melton Hospital’s progress, sign up to our mailing list.

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

This is a summary of the community engagement survey report findings which you can also view in PDF format.

On 23 August 2019 the Victorian Government announced that the Mildura Base Hospital would transfer from private to public operations on 15 September 2020.

As part of the hospital transition, to better understand and shape the future of health services in the Mildura and Northern Mallee region, the Victorian Government has been working with the local community to develop a Regional Service Plan.

As part of the engagement process, the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority undertook a community engagement process to ensure voices from the local community were heard and views were captured.

Community engagement overview

• A community consultative committee was formed in November 2019 to represent community perspectives.
• A survey seeking community feedback was made available via the Engage Victoria website.
• Education campaign to inform locals about how and where they could have their say.
• Distribution of information materials to more than 20 local stakeholder groups, informing them about the survey.
• Due to COVID-19 restrictions, face-to-face engagement activities were cancelled.

Community consultative committee

The committee was established in November 2019 to facilitate community involvement in the regional service planning process. The group met five times during the period November 2019 to November 2020 and was chaired by Member for Mildura, Ali Cupper.

The committee members included:

• Barb Kelly
• Charles Albanese
• Darren Perry
• David Hall
• Dylan Brook
• Hannah Hayes
• Joanne Rodda
• Jessie Lu
• Nicole McLeod
• Paul O’Neill
• Rebecca Hynam
• Sandra Stewart
• Sarah Philpott
• Sheryldine Wilson
• Tony Alessi.

Survey engagement overview

To better understand the current health and health service issues facing the residents of the Mildura and Northern Mallee region, a survey was developed asking residents about their health, the health services and service providers they used and what health services they felt were are needed in the region in the future. The survey was available on the Engage Victoria website from Wednesday 20 May until Sunday 12 July 2020.

This survey followed on from another that the Department of Health and Human Services undertook from 11 October 2018 to 28 February 2019, where feedback was sought from residents on the preferences and views regarding the provision of public health care services in Mildura and surrounding areas. We listened to what the community had to say and on 23 August 2019 the then Minister for Health, Jenny Mikakos announced that the Mildura Base Hospital would be transitioned back to public sector management.

Survey campaign

An education campaign helped to inform locals about the survey, using a mix of advertising on local radio, in the Sunraysia Daily newspaper and targeted social media. The Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority’s website and social media channels were also used to keep locals updated.

Sponsored/targeted social media posts using Facebook.

During the campaign period, Facebook advertisements reached 57,445 people in the region. Women were the most engaged across all age brackets.

Who we heard from...

472 people completed the survey

About the respondents

• 3% - were under 24 years of age
• 18% - were between 25 – 34 years of age
• 28% - were between 35 – 44 years of age
• 20% - were between 45 and 54 years
• 31% - were over 55 years of age
• 78% - female
• 22% - male
• 29% - of respondents have carer responsibilities (either a child, elderly family member or a family member with a disability)
• 12 respondents identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
• 75% - of respondents heard about the survey through social media
• 96% - of respondents live in the Mildura and Northern Mallee region
• 95% - of respondents use health services in the region regularly.

What you told us...

How respondents rated their health

We asked respondents how they would assess their current health and 80% of respondents rated their health as good or better.

• Excellent - 11.49%
• Very good - 37.66%
• Good - 30.85%
• Fair - 15.11%
• Poor - 4.89%.

How respondents rated their local health services

When respondents were asked if health services in Mildura and Northern Mallee area met their needs and those of their family, almost 41% felt that the current health services somewhat met their needs, and almost 5% felt that their needs were completely met.

• Completely meets needs - 4.69%
• Somewhat meets needs - 40.72%
• Neutral - 19.62%
• Rarely meets needs - 15.11%
• Not at all - 4.89%.

For those who rated health services as ‘not meeting their needs’, respondents felt:

• a lot of services are hard to reach or there is a long waiting time when being referred especially in the mental health area
• there needs to be better access to specialist services who visit the area more frequently (for example, mental health, cancer, paediatrics, cardiologists).

Top three health issues

Respondents rated their three most important health issues as:

1. Emergency treatment
2. Children’s health services
3. Maternal health services.
    

Frequency of visits to health services

When respondents were asked how often they or their family visited health services, 50% of respondents said that they visited a health service (GP or medical clinic) ‘every few months’.

When respondents were asked how easy it was to get an appointment to see a medical professional or service when they needed it, most stated they found it either ‘difficult’ or ‘somewhat difficult’:

'It’s difficult to get an appointment with local paediatricians.'

'I have to travel 200 miles to Mildura for an MRI scan, and have appointments with a visiting orthopaedic specialist from Melbourne who consults in Mildura one day per month.'

'It is difficult to see any specialist as most only come to the region monthly or fortnightly from a capital city. If they are local they are very busy and hard to to see quickly.'

'Access to see psychiatrists, especially those with specialties.'

Accessing medical appointments/ treatments

Nearly 100% respondents use their own vehicle to get to their medical appointment/treatment and when they travelled to their last medical appointment, 55% of respondents stated it took them less than 15 minutes to get there.

The good news is that most people don’t delay or put off seeking treatment or medical advice, despite 32% of respondents reporting that they travelled beyond the region to access treatment not available locally.

Top health issues

Respondents were asked to provide comments they felt would assist the planning of future healthcare services in their region. The key themes to emerge were:

• importance of mental health services in the region
• better access to GPs, particularly in the smaller towns outside the Mildura centre
• cost can be a factor when requiring medical treatment or service
• improved hospital services were asked for, including the emergency department
• infrastructure is important in attracting GPs, medical specialists and services.
   

Other things we heard

'It would be so nice as we get older to not travel many miles for a 30 minute appointment with the inconvenience of having to stay overnight when having to see two professionals over two days.'

'We need a good GP service and a proper medical centre with more than one GP as we are multicultural town. We need more services in smaller towns first like Robinvale. Please don’t just fund Mildura it won’t help the smaller outlying towns at all.'

'Most of the medical specialists, doctors and allied health clinics here do not bulk bill which makes it particularly expensive if you need ongoing treatment. I have had to budget to enable payment of treatment, tests, therapies.'

'Please consider whole of region requirements, including cross-border population. Wentworth Shire Council has formed an Interagency Group of agencies working in health and social determinants of health and they meet monthly.'

'I think this area is starting to die and one reason why is the lack of infrastructure. Healthwise we are too far from Melbourne.'
 

Thank you

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the survey. For more information and to keep updated with next steps, visit our dedicated Mildura and Northern Mallee Regional Service Plan project page.