Northern Health Expansion

Scope of Expansion in the North

This two-stage project allows Northern Health to ensure that families have access to first-class care close to home now and into the future.

Stage 1, completed in June 2016, saw the development of a three-storey tower and 32-bed inpatient unit, connected to the main hospital via an aerial link.

Stage 2 will increase the tower from three to seven floors, providing space for improved facilities and extra room to meet future needs.

The features of the new development include:

• three 32-bed wards accommodating 96 acute in-patient beds
• three new operating theatres including one hybrid theatre
• new theatre recovery spaces
• expansion of cardiology services, cath labs and medical imaging
• Critical Care Unit with provision for development of a cardiac precinct
• a fitted out ground floor with kitchen, café hub, offices, transit lounge, emergency control room and communications rooms
• new electrical and lift infrastructure
• future provision for a helipad
• Central Sterile Supply Unit, equipment loan centre, bio-medical engineering, loading dock and other back office functions.

What are the Benefits?

Northern Hospital operates one of the state’s busiest emergency departments, treating more than 107,000 patients each year, delivering an average of 120 emergency surgeries and receiving over 621 ambulance arrivals per week.

With the population of Melbourne’s North expected to keep growing rapidly, the Victorian Government is investing $167.2 million to ensure the Northern Hospital can meet the increasing demand for healthcare.

The Northern Hospital Stage 2 expansion also aims to improve access for patients by redesigning of existing services and adding new ones.

More state-of-the-art facilities and services will also reduce the number of ambulance bypasses to other hospitals and ensure patients are treated fast, close to home.

The expansion will also feature a shell space for the future expansion of cardiology services, catheterisation labs and medical imaging.