Staff numbers at Sunshine Hospital are expected to grow by 35 per cent over the next three years.
The hospital now has about 2200 staff, who make up 35 per cent of Western Health’s total 6280 workforce.
Chief executive Alex Cockram says growth projections are in line with growing community demand for the hospital’s services.
“Along with Footscray, we’re the biggest hospital in the west and one of the west’s biggest employers. But our services need to grow as the population grows. We’re expecting another 350 staff members [full-time and part-time] as part of the new women’s and children’s hospital.”
This hospital is due to open at the Sunshine Hospital site in 2018.
Brimbank council data reveals health care and social assistance was the fastest-growing sector during the six years to June, 2013, with job numbers jumping from 5726 to
7804.
Sunshine Hospital is also among the top five Brimbank employers. Others include Victoria University and Brimbank council.
Essentially, more professionals are being employed in the area, with “professional” the biggest expanding employment classification, adding an extra 1215 people to the local workforce between 2006 and 2011, council data shows.
The health industry has also had the third- highest number of employees increasing their qualifications, with 715 upskilling over the same period. “Forty-five per cent of Western Health staff [since 2010] have gained a formal qualification while working with us,” Associate Professor Cockram said.
Lead West chief executive Craig Rowley said Western Health was leading the way with employment.
“Figures show more than 6200 staff, with the largest chunk at Sunshine Hospital,” he said.
“It’s difficult to get a source of data that’s indisputable, but the hospital is doing a great job dealing with the rising demand for its services, with so many babies being born.
“Western Health is also doing a great job in training medical students and getting highly skilled people to work and live in Brimbank.
“We want these talented young people to stay in the community.”
More than 30 per cent of Sunshine Hospital’s staff live in Brimbank.
Chairman of Brimbank administrators John Watson said the council’s work to designate Sunshine as a national employment cluster had attracted significant public and private investment to the area. It included the $200 million Sunshine women’s and children’s hospital.
