Hospital is safe for now

By Kath Gannaway
EASTERN Health has moved to quash rumours that Healesville Hospital will close.
But changes to its surgical and maternity facilities have not been ruled out.
The Mail has received several calls from concerned residents over the past month, including hospital employees, who believe a redevelopment of the hospital facilities and services will see some radical changes – not all for the better.
Eastern Health general manager Natalie Sullivan last week moved to allay those fears, saying staff and the community would be consulted before changes were made.
She said Eastern Health was working on what it saw as an exciting proposal to redevelop the facilities and services currently provided at the hospital.
“This is an exciting opportunity to ensure that people living in the Yarra Ranges will benefit from a range of health services to meet their changing needs,” Ms Sullivan said.
“For more than 50 years, Healesville and District Hospital has served the communities of the Yarra Ranges, with all of its services being provided from the original structure and few improvements have been made since its establishment in 1957.
“With this in mind, we are now exploring opportunities to improve the facilities and services provided at the Healesville campus and will be preparing a proposal for its redevelopment.”
Ms Sullivan said Eastern Health had just started on the process.
“Eastern Health will consult with staff and with the local community in order to identify the best service profile for the redeveloped facility, and will communicate regular updates about the proposed redevelopment,” she told the Mail.
She said a service plan would come before any redevelopment plan.
“We can’t really identify what the new redeveloped service will be until have identified the services that are going to be delivered.”
Asked about fears the surgical unit and maternity were at risk, Ms Sullivan said no services could be ruled in or out at this stage.
“We are going to start engaging with the community in the New Year to help us develop that service profile,” she said.
Ms Sullivan said Eastern Health would be working with DHS on the new development plan and would engage consultants to set up community forums and advisory groups.
“We really do hope the community gets on board to help us start shaping the services needed up there for the future,” Ms Sullivan said.