Hundreds more patients in Melbourne’s west will get the elective surgery they need sooner following the opening of the Werribee Rapid Access Hub (RAH).
The RAH is one of eight hubs funded by the state government to boost surgery capacity and was opened by Premier Daniel Andrews and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas on Monday, March 13.
The RAH features upgraded endoscopy suites, enabling some 800 endoscopy procedures performed between now and June. These procedures often serve as an important diagnostic tool for doctors, allowing them to inspect their patients and put them on track for any further necessary treatments or surgeries.
The Werribee RAH is the fourth RAH to open, with similar facilities up and running at Broadmeadows Hospital and Sandringham Hospital, in addition to the first of five theatres in operation at St Vincent’s on the Park. Hubs at Peter Mac, University Hospital Geelong, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and the Royal Women’s Hospital will open later this year.
RAHs allow hospitals to streamline their services, freeing up operating theatres, ward capacity and staff.
As a result of the increased capacity, Werribee Mercy Hospital will be able to take on patients from other health services including Western Health and Royal Melbourne Hospital – ensuring they get the care they need, sooner.
The new RAH will also free up capacity to allow surgeons from the Royal Children’s Hospital to do day surgery for children at Werribee – ensuring kids in Wyndham get the care they need, close to home.
The RAH is in addition to the government’s almost $110 million emergency department expansion under way at Werribee Mercy Hospital which will double capacity and allow an extra 25,000 patients to be treated each year once complete in 2025.
“Our new Rapid Access Hubs are not only allowing more patients to get the treatment they need faster, they’re ensuring we deliver on our long-term reform plans to deliver more surgery than ever before,” Ms Thomas said.
