New ward at the Austin

Older Victorians in northern metropolitan Melbourne will have access to a new sub-acute ward as a result of Government initiatives to improve health services, says Aged Care Minister Bronwyn Pike.

Opening the 26-bed Ward Eight at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre’s Repatriation campus, Ms Pike said it would provide additional specialist care for older people to help them recuperate from acute illness before being discharged.

‘The new ward has been established as a result of the Government’s Winter Emergency Demand Strategy and will help older people in the Heidelberg area.’

Under the strategy, the Department provided $26.6 million for extra beds across the public hospital system as part of the Government’s commitment to re-open beds and improve health services.

The new ward is the result of $350,000 in capital funding, along with $3.5 million in additional recurrent funding for 26 sub-acute beds on this campus and another four on the Austin campus.

‘The extra 26 beds here at the Repatriation campus—and four more on the Austin campus—demonstrate this government’s commitment to providing appropriate hospital care for older people,’ she said.

Ms Pike said the Government was committed to improving the quality of health care for older people.

‘Sub-acute services assist through recognition that older people often take longer to recover from an acute illness.’