FRANKSTON Private Hospital is being converted into a public surgery centre.
The state government announced the change last week. The hospital is expected to be operating as a public surgery centre sometime next year.
The state government hopes that by the time it is fully operational, the hospital will have the capacity to support up to 9,000 public patients per year. Deputy Premier James Merlino said that the change will help clear up the backlog of surgeries building up in Victoria because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has been really tough on everyone, but nothing matters more than the health of our loved ones. We’ve got a plan to make sure every Victorian family gets the care they deserve,” Mr Merlino said “This plan will see record numbers of Victorians get the surgeries they need, while making sure our frontline workforce is supported.”
Once converted, the Frankston Private Hospital facility will make COVID catch-up care its focus.
Two new theatres are expected to be constructed by early next year to help the hospital keep up with demand.
In a statement, Peninsula Health confirmed it is working on the project. “We will be working towards transforming Frankston Private Hospital for public surgery, with the capacity to support up to 9,000 patients per year once fully operational in 2023. As such, the facility will be focused on COVID-19 catch up care, meaning that tens of thousands of patients throughout the next four years will get the treatment they need faster and closer to home,” Peninsula Health said.
“For Peninsula Health, this will result in expanding our surgical services, providing more options for those in our community awaiting surgery. We have a strong existing relationship with the Frankston Private team and look forward to building closer ties with Frankston Private across our growing surgical services group. We can also confirm that existing patients at both services will be unaffected by this announcement.”
Frankston Private Hospital was opened in 2017 after the amalgamation of Frankston Private Day Surgery and Peninsula Oncology Centre. It is operated by Heathscope.
Frankston Private Hospital was contacted for comment.
Health minister Martin Foley has called on the federal government to spend more to help Victorian hospitals catch up on surgery delays. “We’re making sure more Victorians get the care they need with a game-changing investment, while the Prime Minister once again fails to show up for Victorians and refuses to go 50/50 on health costs,” he said. “We’ve seen COVID disrupt care and cancel surgeries for people right across the country, while our hardworking nurses and doctors have put everything into caring for the most critical patients.”
