The community finally gets to see inside the Wonthaggi Hospital Expansion (WHE). By Catherine Watson
OVER the past three years, we’ve watched a muddy building site transform into a landmark building that now dominates the Wonthaggi skyscape.
Despite Covid, despite lockdowns, despite shortages of materials and labour, the upgraded Wonthaggi Hospital is nearing completion.
The signs are up, the scaffolding is being removed and this Saturday the community has a chance to see inside the $115m expansion during a community open day.
OVER the past three years, we’ve watched a muddy building site transform into a landmark building that now dominates the Wonthaggi skyscape.
Despite Covid, despite lockdowns, despite shortages of materials and labour, the upgraded Wonthaggi Hospital is nearing completion.
The signs are up, the scaffolding is being removed and this Saturday the community has a chance to see inside the $115m expansion during a community open day.
| “We are immensely proud of the newly expanded hospital and we invite everyone to join us in what will be a great community celebration,” Bass Coast Health CEO Jan Child said. The expanded hospital is the first of three stages to expand and upgrade the current hospital. It features a new emergency department (ED), three operating theatres and a new surgical ward with 32 beds. The new facility will treat its first patients next month. | Open day The Wonthaggi Hospital open day from 10am to 4pm on Saturday November 12 includes tours every half hour, a fete, sausage sizzle and coffee van, and a smoking ceremony (Welcome to Country) at 10am. Online tours are booked out but limited places will be available on the day. |
Ms Child said the opening was a huge plus for the Wonthaggi and broader community of Bass Coast and South Gippsland.
“BCH has been growing its services to deliver on its role as a sub-regional health service, with the key aim to care for more people closer to home.
“The WHE will not only entice more healthcare workers to join our excellent team at Bass Coast Health, but will also give more people the confidence to relocate to our region, knowing they have a contemporary health service to care for them when they need it.”
“BCH has been growing its services to deliver on its role as a sub-regional health service, with the key aim to care for more people closer to home.
“The WHE will not only entice more healthcare workers to join our excellent team at Bass Coast Health, but will also give more people the confidence to relocate to our region, knowing they have a contemporary health service to care for them when they need it.”
Emergency department
The ED is located on the ground level and includes:
In the longer term a fast-track area will be opened up to enable patients with less complex conditions to be seen in a timelier fashion. In the short term, these patients will be seen in the expanded ED precinct.
Surgery and acute care
Surgical services dominate level one, with three large operating theatres, including an interactive operating theatre to enable surgery (primarily orthopaedic) to be recorded and beamed to metropolitan hospitals for advice and teaching purposes.
The theatres will enable surgical specialities including general, gynaecology, orthopaedic, ophthalmology, endoscopy, urology and breast surgery. Further expansion is under way to enable orthopaedics and paediatrics is on the horizon.
An acute ward on the top level has three high acuity beds for close observation, a bariatric room, an isolation room, paediatric beds, 16 single and 16 double rooms, and a large lounge area with views across Wonthaggi.
Honoring Indigeous and local communities
Following consultation with the Bunurong Land Council, the acute ward will be known as Kodowlinum (pronounced Ko-dow-lin-um), meaning “I am better”.
Corridors and lifts feature historic and scenic photos including the iconic trestle bridge at Kilcunda, The Nobbies at Phillip Island and Eagles Nest at Inverloch.
That connection is reinforced by a pattern in the bricks on the front of the extension featuring a map of Bass Coast and South Gippsland, including the distinctive landmark of Wilsons Promontory.
The brickwork also carries the names of local towns that fall within the catchment of Bass Coast Health, creating a strong visual link with the local community.
The ED is located on the ground level and includes:
- general cubicles
- a paediatric cubicle
- four high acuity cubicles for very ill patients
- resuscitation cubicles
- a behavioural assessment room (for people who may be agitated, have a mental illness or are affected by alcohol or similar)
- a bariatric cubicle with a gantry for lifting heavy patients.
- a negative pressure room for the treatment of COVID and other respiratory conditions
- two isolation cubicles for those with infectious conditions, such as COVID
In the longer term a fast-track area will be opened up to enable patients with less complex conditions to be seen in a timelier fashion. In the short term, these patients will be seen in the expanded ED precinct.
Surgery and acute care
Surgical services dominate level one, with three large operating theatres, including an interactive operating theatre to enable surgery (primarily orthopaedic) to be recorded and beamed to metropolitan hospitals for advice and teaching purposes.
The theatres will enable surgical specialities including general, gynaecology, orthopaedic, ophthalmology, endoscopy, urology and breast surgery. Further expansion is under way to enable orthopaedics and paediatrics is on the horizon.
An acute ward on the top level has three high acuity beds for close observation, a bariatric room, an isolation room, paediatric beds, 16 single and 16 double rooms, and a large lounge area with views across Wonthaggi.
Honoring Indigeous and local communities
Following consultation with the Bunurong Land Council, the acute ward will be known as Kodowlinum (pronounced Ko-dow-lin-um), meaning “I am better”.
Corridors and lifts feature historic and scenic photos including the iconic trestle bridge at Kilcunda, The Nobbies at Phillip Island and Eagles Nest at Inverloch.
That connection is reinforced by a pattern in the bricks on the front of the extension featuring a map of Bass Coast and South Gippsland, including the distinctive landmark of Wilsons Promontory.
The brickwork also carries the names of local towns that fall within the catchment of Bass Coast Health, creating a strong visual link with the local community.
Staged opening
The move into the extension will take place in stages, with the aim to have surgical and medical inpatients into the third floor in December.
The main reception will also move from the old hospital to the new hospital in December, and the old reception will be closed off to the public, ready for its makeover.
The Emergency Department (ED) has a separate entry. Both main reception and the ED are easily accessible, with a driveway allowing patients to be delivered straight to the door. Carparking will be available in the front carpark and seating available in the drop-off area.
An ambulance bay at the rear of the hospital has capacity for five ambulances, with direct access from Baillieu Street West.
Patients will be able to access services in the existing hospital, such as pathology and maternity, by entering the main reception within the new building, accessing the first floor via a lift, and then following the link down the corridor to the existing hospital.
Acute medical and surgical patients will be cared for in the third floor of the new hospital until around June 2023, when renovations to the medical ward in the existing hospital will be completed.
After this, surgical and medical patients will be cared for in separate wards: surgical patients in the WHE ward and medical patients (with general illness) in the acute ward in the existing hospital.
The emergency department, short stay unit and radiology will move into the WHE in December. This will allow for sub-acute patients to move from Sleeman Ward in the existing hospital to Armitage House in late December. Until this time, the ED will remain in Armitage House and access will continue to be via Baillieu Street West.
Surgery will be undertaken in the new theatres from mid-January.
The move into the extension will take place in stages, with the aim to have surgical and medical inpatients into the third floor in December.
The main reception will also move from the old hospital to the new hospital in December, and the old reception will be closed off to the public, ready for its makeover.
The Emergency Department (ED) has a separate entry. Both main reception and the ED are easily accessible, with a driveway allowing patients to be delivered straight to the door. Carparking will be available in the front carpark and seating available in the drop-off area.
An ambulance bay at the rear of the hospital has capacity for five ambulances, with direct access from Baillieu Street West.
Patients will be able to access services in the existing hospital, such as pathology and maternity, by entering the main reception within the new building, accessing the first floor via a lift, and then following the link down the corridor to the existing hospital.
Acute medical and surgical patients will be cared for in the third floor of the new hospital until around June 2023, when renovations to the medical ward in the existing hospital will be completed.
After this, surgical and medical patients will be cared for in separate wards: surgical patients in the WHE ward and medical patients (with general illness) in the acute ward in the existing hospital.
The emergency department, short stay unit and radiology will move into the WHE in December. This will allow for sub-acute patients to move from Sleeman Ward in the existing hospital to Armitage House in late December. Until this time, the ED will remain in Armitage House and access will continue to be via Baillieu Street West.
Surgery will be undertaken in the new theatres from mid-January.