Staff will soon begin 22,000 hours of training in preparation for the opening of the new $1.5 billion Footscray Hospital.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas and Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne visited the new hospital on Saturday to mark the next phase of this massive project, in preparation for opening in February 2026.
More than 4,500 staff members will now commence 22,000 hours of training on the new hospital’s advanced features and technologies. This will include 200 specialised staff who will participate in 26 clinical simulation exercises to test critical care processes in the new hospital setting.
More than 4,000 pieces of clinical and operational equipment will be transferred to the new site in a coordinated process designed to minimise disruption to patients and ensure each department is set up to deliver care without delay.
A dedicated team of 10 pharmacists will carry out more than 1,200 hours of preparation to order, install, and stock medication in the central pharmacy, and 180 rooms will be stocked with medical supplies.
The new hospital includes a 12-storey main inpatient unit, four additional buildings, and 16 operating theatres across the more than 180,000 square metre site –equivalent to nine MCGs.
Once fully operational, the hospital will have more than 500 beds – an increase of 200 beds – to treat approximately 15,000 additional patients and support an additional 20,000 emergency department presentations each year, catering for Melbourne’s growing west claims the government.
Existing services such as emergency care – including a new Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Hub – along with surgical, intensive and coronary care, mental health and other support services will transition to the new site.
The new Footscray Hospital will also house Victoria’s first fully public pathology service featuring a state-of-the-art laboratory that will support Western Health’s entire hospital network.
The shift of existing patients to the new hospital will occur over 24-hours in February.
“This state-of-the-art hospital is an investment in the health and wellbeing of Melbourne’s west, as well as our dedicated healthcare staff – helping them deliver world-class care, closer to home for thousands of local families,” Ms Thomas said.
