A new 21-bed hospital, which will provide private mental health services to residents in Melbourne’s west, has opened in St Albans.
The Sunshine Clinic Private Hospital (SCPH) reopened on Wednesday 26 November under a new 15-year lease with Australian Unity, one year after Sunshine Private Hospital, operated by a different tenant, entered administration.
The SCPH will provide inpatient services and outpatient day programs to diagnose and treat a broad range of mental health conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, PTSD, ADHD and addiction and substance use disorders.
SCPH chief executive Joy Schaffner said the demand for mental health services in the west is increasing.
“We know that there’s a real gap in mental health services, particularly in the private sector, in the west,” Ms Schaffner said.
“We want to be able to bridge the gap for patients to allow better access to world class mental health facilities.”
Ms Schaffner said residents living in Sunshine, St Albans, Deer Park, Caroline Springs and the broader western corridor often have to travel to Werribee, Essendon, inner Melbourne or the eastern suburbs to receive specialist private mental health care.
“For many, unfortunately that distance becomes a barrier for seeking help,” she said.
“[SCPH] exists to change that, to provide the western suburbs with timely, local, high-quality mental health services close to home and tailored to the community we serve.”
Western Metropolitan region MP and former Brimbank councillor Truung Luu said the hospital’s reopening was a “major milestone” and a “cornerstone of support in our region.”
