FRANKSTON Private Hospital is now officially the Frankston Public Surgical Centre.
Peninsula Health began operating the hospital on 1 September. Earlier this year the state government announced that the private hospital would be converted into a public surgery centre to help catch up on elective surgeries.
When the conversion is complete, the Frankston Public Surgical Centre is expected to complete around 9000 elective surgeries and endoscopies each year.
Elective surgeries have now begun at the centre. The hospital contains three operating theatres and 60 inpatient beds. Two more procedure rooms are expected to be converted into operating theatres by early 2023.
Some of the surgical services offered at the hospital include gynaecology, urology, orthopaedics, and general surgery.
In a statement the state government said that the “majority of the dedicated staff” at Frankston Private Hospital elected to stay on at the new public hospital.
Premier Daniel Andrews, health minister Mary-Anne Thomas, and Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke visited the centre last week. Andrews said “across the nation, the pandemic has disrupted care for many while nurses and doctors focused on patients in the most critical conditions. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to help get back to pre-pandemic levels of care for Victorian patients.”
“With no emergency department diverting healthcare workers to more critical patients, this facility will be completely dedicated to COVID catch up care – delivering 9,000 elective surgeries a year and putting patients first,” he said.
Peninsula Health has confirmed that it has taken on 180 new staff through the transition.
“The opening of Frankston Public Surgical Centre is an exciting step for Peninsula Health and the broader community, as it gives us the opportunity to provide up to 9,000 elective surgeries per year, which will have a significant impact on local Mornington Peninsula and Frankston residents,” Peninsula Health acting chief executive Helen Cooper said. “The staff have been incredibly supportive and collaborative as we have transitioned the operations from the previous owners during the last five months, and we are extremely happy to have more than 180 new colleagues join us at Peninsula Health.”
Frankston Private Hospital’s transformation is just one of the major health projects happening in Frankston. Works on the $1.18 billion redevelopment of Frankston Hospital are underway, and the state government recently announced that an urgent care centre will open next to it to ease the pressure on the emergency department.
The state government is spending $1.5 billion on its COVID catch up plan to shorten the elective surgery waitlist.
