Sunshine Hospital could soon be home to a new five-storey women and children’s centre under a $550 million Western Health overhaul.
The Changing Health for a Changing West document, seen by Star Weekly, warns more than half a billion dollars will need to be spent at Sunshine and Western hospitals to keep up with growing demand.
The plans include a five-storey women and children’s centre with expanded services and technology to meet future demand and improve patient care for mothers and young ones across the west.
In total, the redevelopment across the two sites will include 448 beds, 39 special-care nursery cots, four new theatres, additional clinics, new medical imaging suite and a dedicated ambulatory treatment space.
The plans come after a Star Weekly report revealed construction would start on a new children’s ward at Sunshine Hospital next month that would include a renovated bathing room, a negative pressure room for infection control, a five-bed day procedure recovery unit, a high-care nursery with new monitoring systems for asthma patients, an exercise space and upgraded en suites in two single rooms.
Extensive plans and detailed estimates have been prepared for the project, but await funding by the state government.
Speculation is mounting that the state government may make an announcement ahead of the election, but Health Minister David Davis remains tight-lipped about any spending. His spokesperson said the Department of Health had been working closely with Western Health to assess community needs.
“Together, they have developed long-term plans for the health service’s physical infrastructure,” the spokesperson said.
“The Coalition government’s investment includes expanded critical care and maternity facilities at Western Health.”
In 2012-13, Sunshine Hospital had the second-highest number of births of any single hospital in the state.
