The Alfred hospital in Melbourne is one of the four new Rapid Access Hubs. Photo: The Alfred.
The Victorian Government will soon open an additional four Rapid Access Hubs to provide patients with 6000 additional elective surgeries per year.
Implemented as part of the government’s $1.5 billion-dollar COVID Catch Up Plan, the four hubs will add to eight sites announced in 2022, six of which are operational. The government said the hubs were designed to repair the planned surgery system and offer an alternative pathway to care, on-the-spot procedures, and reduced wait times for low-risk procedures.
The hubs will be used exclusively for planned surgery to relieve pressure on main theatres, avoid impact to emergency procedures and free up staff. Upgrades have been undertaken at Northern Hospital in Epping and The Alfred in Melbourne which are open now, and Moorabbin Hospital and the Royal Children’s Hospital from May 2024. Each hub will have its own medical specialities.
Previously announced locations that are also operational include Broadmeadows Hospital, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Sandringham Hospital, St Vincent’s on the Park in East Melbourne, University Hospital Geelong, and Werribee Mercy Hospital. The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Royal Women’s Hospital in North Melbourne are scheduled to begin accepting patients in the next couple of months.
In addition, the Frankston Private Hospital has been transformed into a public surgery centre with the capacity to support up to 9000 public patients per year.
The COVID Catch Up Plan has also seen an investment in the training and development of 2500 healthcare workers and an additional 2500 medical professionals recruited from overseas since 2022.
The government has also appointed a chief surgical adviser to work with a surgery recovery taskforce, provide the government with clinical expertise and advice, support the delivery of the Planned Surgery Recovery and Reform program and to drive long-term improvements and system changes.
Victorian Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said the hubs were boosting Victoria’s planned surgery capacity.
“The significant investment made via our COVID Catch Up Plan is changing how we approach planned surgery in Victoria, delivering important reform to give more people access to the care they need sooner,” she said.
Member for Southern Metropolitan Region John Berger added, “The delivery of a new operating theatre as part of our investment in a Rapid Access Hub at The Alfred is going to be game changing for people waiting for planned surgery in Melbourne’s south.”
