Tony Lupton - News
More beds for patients at Alfred Health
State Labor Member for Prahran, Tony Lupton, has welcomed the announcement of a $321.5 million beds package to care for thousands of extra patients.
Visiting the Alfred Hospital with Martin Foley MP for Albert Park and Ann Barker MP for Oakleigh, Mr Lupton said that Alfred Health will receive a $6.4 million Brumby Government funding boost for an extra 31 hospital beds to treat more than 2,300 extra local patients each year.
“The Brumby Government is taking action to boost access to vital health services across the state, particularly for those living in our local area,” Mr Lupton said.
“Alfred Health provides high quality health care to patients with a wide variety of needs and all levels of urgency.
“The new beds package will improve bed access and patient flows and will see additional beds in acute, sub acute and critical care services across the state.”
Mr Lupton said Alfred Health will receive $6.4 million to fund an extra 9 acute beds and 22 sub acute beds, with a focus on treating elective surgery patients.
“The funding boost means Alfred Health will be able to treat an additional 2,972 patients each year.
“It also includes funding to increase capacity for more highly dependent patients to be cared for outside of the ICU, and will enable emergency departments to see and treat patients quicker.
“The boost also includes additional services to people living in nursing homes who would otherwise have visited the emergency department.”
Health Minister Daniel Andrews said today the Brumby Government had funded a $321.5 million beds package to treat thousands of additional patients in Victoria’s public hospitals.
The $321.5 million bed package for Victorian hospitals includes;
- $34 million per year for 100 acute beds;
- $10 million per year for four ICU beds and two NICU beds;
- $31 million per year for 170 sub acute beds; and,
- $10 million per year for diversion programs for emergency department and short stay capacity, community based rehabilitation and additional ED diversion under the hospital admission risk program.
Mr Andrews said the extra acute ward beds will improve the transfer of patients out of the emergency department.
“The significant investment in sub acute beds will improve patient flow by allowing hospitals to transfer longer staying patients into more appropriate sub acute care, freeing up beds in acute wards,” he said.
Mr Andrews said this funding comes on top of the $1.81 billion State Budget boost to health last May.
“The Brumby Government is committed to ensuring the Victorian health system remains the best in Australia,” he said.
