EXCLUSIVE
Footscray’s Western Hospital is returning to its original name – Footscray Hospital.
The official name change reflects a Western Health board decision to highlight the hospital’s strong links with the local community. The renaming coincides with the hospital’s 60th anniversary and comes into effect on October 1.
Western Health chief executive Alex Cockram said it was the right time to return to the essence of the hospital’s original name, Footscray & District Hospital.
“The hospital was founded as a result of the drive and resourcefulness of local communities and to this day remains an integral part of the communities it serves,” she said.
Associate Professor Cockram said the hospital had undergone a number of physical transformations over the years but had always remained an essential part of Footscray.
Over six decades, the hospital has been officially known as Footscray Hospital, Western Hospital, Western General Hospital and Maribyrnong Medical Centre, but it continues to be widely referred to as Footscray Hospital.
“While the hospital is much bigger and more advanced than it was 60 years ago, its community linkages remain a key part of its identity,” Associate Professor Cockram said.
“By changing the name, we are paying tribute to these connections.”
Star Weekly has recently reported on a number of pressures faced by the ageing hospital, including inadequate facilities and a high proportion of acutely ill patients.
Western Health executive director Russell Harrison has called for a rebuilding of the emergency department to bring treatment spaces up to about 60.
The Footscray Hospital rebranding follows a return to the VFL this season of a stand-alone Footscray Bulldogs team and reflects a growing pride in the once-maligned Footscray name.
