Werribee Mercy Hospital (WMH) is soon to be home to a new Emergency Department Short Stay Unit (SSU), with the temporary modular building to be constructed remotely and craned into the north-east corner of the Hoppers Lane carpark later this year.
The 24-bed SSU will care for patients coming through the Emergency Department (ED) who are not critically ill but need further observation before they are either discharged or admitted. The SSU will also be able to accommodate patients with COVID-19 or other infections. The temporary SSU will help reduce waiting times and save beds in the busy ED for the most acute patients.
Werribee Mercy Hospital General Manager Maree Pane says short stay spaces located inside the existing ED will move into the modular building so this space will become available for patient assessment, reducing waiting times for ED patients.
“This temporary unit will be ideal for patients who might present with a sprained ankle or a broken wrist,” says Maree. “It will be good for those patients who need some medical care but are unlikely to need admission to a ward.”
Health Services Chief Executive Adjunct Professor Jason Payne says the SSU is a good temporary solution for the burgeoning community in Melbourne’s west, where demand for public healthcare continues to grow.
“The temporary unit highlights that we have the space available for an expansion and the Government’s willingness to identify a short term opportunity demonstrates that it understands the critical need for both expansion and investment in the Wyndham corridor,” Jason says.
Mercy Health is recruiting new medical, nursing and allied health leaders for the SSU, including a Medical Director, a Nurse Unit Manager and more nurses, allied health, clerical and environmental services staff.
Meanwhile, two of Mercy Health’s most senior clinicians have spoken openly and passionately about the need for expansion of capabilities, services and workforce at WMH.
Speaking on Channel 9’s Victorian evening news in February, Clinical Director of Obstetrics Dr Michael Rasmussen and Clinical Director of Paediatrics Dr Kathy McMahon said the hospital and its staff could be proud of their contribution to Wyndham over many years, but the current and anticipated population growth was putting enormous pressure on the existing campus.
Births at WMH have increased from 1,500 a year to 3,800 a year over the past decade. “In the next 15-20 years, we could anticipate well over 5,000 women from Wyndham who will require maternity services,” said Michael.
Last reviewed April 22, 2022.