Cash boost for new hospital beds

CASEY Hospital will receive new beds as part of a $12.7 million Southern Health plan.
Victorian Health Minister Daniel Andrews announced that the money will allow Southern Health to get an extra 51 beds.
Dandenong Hospital will receive eight beds including a new intensive care unit bed, and Monash Medical Centre Clayton will receive five beds including a new neonatal intensive care cot.
Another 28 beds will all be located at the Kingston Centre, Moorabbin.
Mr Andrews said the funding boost means Southern Health will be able to treat an additional 4578 patients each year with a focus on treating elective surgery patients.
“The new beds package will improve bed access and patient flows and will see additional beds,” he said. Southern Health chief executive Shelly Park welcomed the announcement and said the boost includes funding to increase capacity to treat more highly dependent patients outside of intensive care units and will allow emergency departments to treat patients more quickly.