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REGIONAL HOSPITALS TO SHARE IN WINTER BEDS BOOST Tuesday, 22 June 2010


REGIONAL HOSPITALS TO SHARE IN WINTER BEDS BOOST

Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Regional and rural families will benefit from a $13.9 million Brumby Labor Government strategy to open more than 100 extra hospital beds to meet a surge in demand this winter.

Premier John Brumby and Health Minister Daniel Andrews today outlined details of the new strategy today, which will provide an additional 31 beds at five key regional hospitals from 1 July, providing capacity to treat almost 400 additional patients in country Victoria.


It also follows last month’s $4 billion State Budget boost to the health system which included a record investment in regional and rural hospitals including Bendigo, Geelong, Ballarat, Coleraine, Leongatha and Wonthaggi.


“The Victorian Government is taking action to give Victorians a better health system, by building new hospitals and hiring more doctors and nurses,” Mr Brumby said.


“That is why we have specifically funded a winter strategy to support health services during winter – a period of increased demand for emergency care.”


The boost will open an extra 102 subacute beds statewide including:

Bendigo Heath (12 beds);

Ballarat Health Services (9 beds),

Albury Wodonga Health (6 beds),

Central Gippsland Health Service (two beds); and

Western District Health Service (2 beds).


Mr Brumby said under the Winter Demand Strategy, all regional and metropolitan health services will put in place a plan responding to demand pressures over the 2010 winter months.


“As the seasons change, so does the demand on the health system with winter a peak period for hospital activity as a result of seasonal increases in flu and gastro.”


Mr Andrews said the biggest impact of these changes was seen most on the front line in emergency departments and during the last 12 months there had been a large increase in demand for care from Victorian emergency departments.


“From 1 July to 31 October 2009 there was a 2.6 per cent increase in emergency department presentations, a 6.1 per cent increase in patients transferred to ward beds from the ED and 4.2 per cent increase in high acuity presentations compared to the same period in 2008,” he said.


“Last week’s AIHW report on Australian Hospital statistics showed Victoria’s emergency departments are the best in the country – with 73 per cent of emergency department patients seen on time.


“This increase in capacity will provide further support to staff in our in our emergency departments to continue providing the very best care to patients.


“The Brumby Labor Government has increased funding to our hospitals by 153 per cent and invested $7.5 billion to deliver in the largest health capital program in the Victoria’s history.”




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