The range of public health services will be tailored for each community. These services will range from early intervention, primary and community care, with a focus on paediatric care and chronic disease management programs as well as day hospital services, all aimed at managing health needs locally. There is a strong focus on ensuring better integration of services, with the hospitals connecting a range of health and human services under one roof.

Services will vary between community hospitals and these could include:

• Aboriginal health
• alcohol and other drug
• allied health
• chronic disease management
• day chemotherapy
• day surgery and procedural
• dental
• family and early childhood
• family safety
• integrated care
• mental health
• maternal and child health
• paediatric
• palliative care
• pharmacy, medical imaging and pathology
• primary care
• rehabilitation
• renal dialysis
• social support
• specialist clinics
• women’s health.

The community hospital program will be delivered through a combination of upgrades and expansions to existing sites and new developments at new sites.

Upgrade or expansion at existing site:

• Craigieburn – to be managed by Northern Health
• Phillip Island – to be managed by Bass Coast Health
• Sunbury – to be managed by Western Health

Expansion at a new site:

• Cranbourne – to be managed by Monash Health
• Pakenham – to be managed by Monash Health
• Torquay – to be managed by Barwon Health

New developments at new sites:

• Eltham area – to be managed by Austin Health
• Fishermans Bend – to be managed by Alfred Health
• Point Cook – to be managed by Western Health
• City of Whittlesea – to be managed by Northern Health

The community hospitals program will deliver the following benefits:

• enable care to be provided locally, ensuring every family can get the care they need
• assist in preventing poor health and wellbeing outcomes in communities with vulnerable or at-risk members
• reduce unnecessary attendance and wait times at larger hospitals.

The community hospitals program will provide an opportunity to create thriving health precincts that will support health and wellbeing of the local community, and bring greater vitality to growing areas. Community health services will have the opportunity to partner with these hospitals to deliver care locally.

Community consultative committees (the committees) have been established to provide a forum for members of each local community affected by the project to participate in its planning and development through open dialogue and consultation.

Each committee includes:

• foundation members from key organisations such as local councils, health service providers and Aboriginal representation
• community members selected by an independent expression of interest process and a limited number of invited community members.

The range of services provided in each community hospital will largely be driven by the health and wellbeing needs of the local community and the need to deliver services safely. It is therefore critical to the Department of Health and Human Services that the community actively participate in the planning process.

The committee selection approach considered a mix of age, gender and other demographic characteristics as well as a cross-section of interests and community perspectives to ensure diverse representation.

Please visit the dedicated project pages below for more information:

• Craigieburn
• Cranbourne
• Eltham area 
• Fishermans Bend 
• Pakenham
• Phillip Island
• Point Cook 
• Sunbury
• Torquay
• City of Whittlesea.
  
  

Please direct project enquiries and feedback to communityhospitals@dhhs.vic.gov.au.