Cranbourne’s Integrated Care Centre will be transformed into a new community hospital if Labor is re-elected at the state election.
Labor have pledged to replace the ageing Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre with a new community hospital, providing greater capacity for the growing Cranbourne community for services like paediatric care, elective day surgery, diagnostic services and community mental health assessments.
It’s part of Labor’s $675 million fund to build and upgrade community hospitals or urgent care centres in our suburbs and regional towns.
Health Minister Jill Hennessy joined Labor Candidate for Cranbourne Pauline Richards in making the announcement at the centre on Tuesday 30 October.
Ms Hennessy said families deserved the peace of mind that the “very best care is just around the corner.”
It comes as Labor aims to deliver better care and ambulance services to the growing local community.
Ms Richards said only Labor would build a new Cranbourne Community Hospital and deliver the vital health services the public needs.
“Locals in the south eastern suburbs shouldn’t have to travel into the city to access services like rehab, day surgery and paediatric care and under Labor’s plan, they won’t have to,” she said.
Labor say they have reversed the “savage Liberal cuts” and delivered the best ambulance response times on record.
New data released shows 88.25 per cent of ambulances arrived at Code 1 incidents within 15 minutes in Cranbourne, Labor argues.
Premier Daniel Andrews said: “Only a once-in-a-generation boost to community hospitals will give patients the best care – and only Labor will get it done.”
Shadow Minister for Health, Mary Wooldridge said it was another “hollow” promise from a government that was “desperately” hoping Cranbourne residents will be distracted from escalating surgery wait times at the local hospital.
“Patients are now waiting 38 days for surgery, up from 29 days two years ago,” she said.
“Cranbourne Integrated Care opened in 1999 and has been serving the local community with a wide range allied health, surgery, dental and mental health services. It’s inconceivable Labor would commit to tear it down and rebuild it.”
