Western Health

29/04/2026

⚠️ UPDATE: incoming calls to switchboard restored ⚠️
Inbound calls to Western Health switchboard are now connecting again after an outage this afternoon.
We thank our patients and community for your patience and understanding.

29/04/2026

⚠️Outage: incoming calls to Western Health switchboard⚠️

All inbound calls to all Western Health sites affected.

We are working with our providers to fix this as soon as possible.

We thank our patients and community for your patience and understanding.

Dial 000 immediately in an emergency.

24/04/2026

Lest we forget.

Western Health is incredibly grateful to our Bacchus Marsh community for the renovation of our Anzac Tree memorial.

The memorial sits in the grounds of Bacchus Marsh Hospital, and is built around an Aleppo Pine grown from seeds of the original Lone Pine on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Every year on 25 April, we hold a Dawn Service at the memorial. This year, the memorial will have a new flower bed, public street access, a repainted fence, and a professionally cleaned brass plaque, all thanks to the generosity of our Bacchus Marsh community.

Thank you to Bacchus Marsh RSL, Legacy and Bacchus Marsh Lions Club Inc for supporting the project, and for the incredibly generous donation of materials and labour by ABC Grounds Maintenance, Mastro Concrete Solutions & Ballin Courts.

Read more at https://westernhealth.org.au/news/anzac-tree-memorial-bacchus-marsh-hospital-gets-makeover

23/04/2026

Last night, we were incredibly proud to celebrate our longest-serving staff members at the 2026 Length of Service Awards 👏

This year, 771 Western Health staff were recognised for 10 years or more of service. Collectively, last night’s award recipients have contributed more than 12,660 years of care to our community here in Melbourne’s west.

A special congratulations to Beverly Howard and Olga Learoyd, who reached the remarkable milestone of 50 years with Western Health. Your commitment over decades inspires the care we provide every day.

To every staff member recognised, thank you. We deeply value your contribution to the health and wellbeing of our community. 💙

21/04/2026

Premier Jacinta Allan and Health Minister Harriet Shing MP today visited Joan Kirner Women’s and Children's to announce a new 24-bed post-natal ward at Sunshine Hospital, and funding for an additional 1,500 sonography appointments. Funding was also announced for more special care nursery cots for babies with complex needs.

Western Health is grateful for this significant investment in healthcare services for our community.

Find out more at https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/west-wins-budget-boost-health-trains-and-safety

📸 From left to right: Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman MP, Health Minister Harriet Shing, new mother Esther, Premier Jacinta Allan, baby Triumph.

17/04/2026

Western Health was pleased to welcome Premier Jacinta Allan, Health Minister Harriet Shing MP, Health Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne MP, and Member for Melton Steve McGhie MP to the Melton Hospital site yesterday, marking a key construction milestone.

With the first concrete slabs poured and five of six tower cranes now in place, major structural works are underway.

This milestone represents significant progress in delivering a new hospital for Melbourne’s growing outer west, improving access to care closer to home.

The project is being delivered in partnership with the Victorian Health Building Authority and Lendlease. We thank the Premier and Ministers for their continued support.

15/04/2026

A century of care at Footscray Hospital 💖🏥

We’re incredibly proud to see Beverly Howard and Olga Learoyd recognised by the Victorian Department of Health in their series.

Between them, Beverly and Olga have spent 100 years caring for patients in our community, including through one of the largest hospital moves in the history of our state - the new Footscray Hospital.

Thank you, Beverly and Olga 🫶

Beverly Howard and Olga Learoyd have worked at Footscray Hospital since 1975. Between them, they’ve given a century of care to their community.

They’ve worn the uniform for 50 years. They’ve seen medicine change, theatres modernise and scrubs lose their crisp white starch. But one thing hasn’t changed. Their love for nursing, their patients and also their friendship.

“It’s amazing – I can’t believe I have been here for 50 years.”

Beverly was just 20 years old when she first walked into theatre. Today, she’s still there, still a scrub scout, still exactly where she feels she belongs.
“What keeps me here is the love of the job. I love being a scrub scout nurse, and I have done since I walked in here when I was 20.”

Olga always knew she would be a nurse. She says she decided at five years old. She began in Intensive Care and now works in anaesthetics and recovery, bringing calm to patients at their most vulnerable moments.
“I just love it. I’m passionate about being a nurse and I enjoy coming to work and doing the work. I love contributing to the community. That gives me a lot of motivation, and I’m very proud of it.”

Together, they’ve also witnessed one of Victoria’s largest hospital moves, stepping from the old into the brand-new Footscray Hospital.
For Beverly and Olga, nursing is more than a health care career.
It’s community, purpose and a friendship that has stood the test of time.

Thank you to Beverly and Olga for your incredible dedication to our health service and the community of Footscray.

📷 Western Health

02/04/2026

Happy Easter

All of us here at Western Health wish you a safe, fun and happy long weekend

A very happy Easter to all those who celebrate, and a heartfelt thankyou to all our wonderful staff who are working this weekend

30/03/2026

Our op shop is now open at Footscray Hospital 🛍️

Pop in, pick up a bargain and support your local health service at the same time. Every purchase helps fund important projects and services for our community here in Melbourne’s west.

Run by dedicated volunteers and stocked with generous donations, the op shop is a small space making a big difference 💛

Come and take a look next time you visit.

27/03/2026

💙 A huge thank you to the Deer Park Lions Club 💙

Today, we had the pleasure of welcoming Chris from the Deer Park Lions Club, who delivered another generous donation of patient care packs.

These packs everyday essentials such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair combs, bath gel and ear plugs, helping provide comfort to patients who arrive at our Emergency Department unexpectedly.

Last year, every single pack was distributed to patients who had been admitted to stay overnight in the emergency department showing just how important this support is for our patients. Thanks to this ongoing generosity, even more people will receive these thoughtful items when they need them most.

We are so grateful for this support. Thank you for making a difference in our community.

24/03/2026

🐸 A lasting symbol of community generosity🐸

We are proud to unveil a new frog sculpture at our new Footscray Hospital, made possible through the incredible support of our Vietnamese community.

The sculpture was unveiled by our CEO Professor Russell Harrison, and the Abbot of Chùa Quang Minh temple in Braybrook, Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan OAM, in a ceremony at Footscray Hospital.

To celebrate this milestone, and pay tribute to our Vietnamese community, we would like to share with you the beautiful words of Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan:

Dear friends,

It is a joy to stand here with you today in this beautiful new Footscray Hospital, a place that will serve countless families for generations to come. When our community came together to raise six hundred thousand dollars for this hospital, it was not simply a fundraising effort. It was an act of love. It was a collective wish for healing, for dignity, and for the well-being of all who walk through these doors.

When I made that contribution, I also made a small request: that the hospital create a frog sculpture and place it in the garden, facing the entrance. Some people may wonder, “Why a frog?” But for me, the frog carries a very special meaning.

In many cultures, including our own, the frog is a symbol of good weather, good climate, and good conditions. When the frog appears, it tells us that the environment is healthy, the air is fresh, and the rains are balanced. It is a gentle reminder that harmony between people and nature brings prosperity and peace. For Vietnamese people who grew up in an agricultural, rice-farming society, the frog is an essential part of the rice-field ecosystem.

By placing this frog in the garden, we are not only adding something lively and joyful to the landscape. We are planting a symbol of hope. A symbol of renewal. A symbol of good conditions for everyone who comes here seeking care.

But the frog also carries another message - one that is very close to my heart.

This sculpture reminds us of the kindness that has flowed into this hospital from the community. Many people here have received treatment in the past. Many will receive treatment in the future. And all of us, at some point in our lives, rely on the compassion and skill of our healthcare workers. The frog stands here as a gentle guardian, reminding us that when we give to the hospital, we are giving back to the very place that has supported us, healed us, and comforted us.

It reminds us that kindness is never lost. It returns to us, again and again, like the rain that nourishes the earth.

This frog also looks forward- toward the entrance - because it welcomes every patient, every visitor, every staff member.

It says:

“You are safe here. You are cared for here. May good conditions surround you.”

I hope that when people walk past this sculpture, they feel a moment of lightness. A moment of calm. A moment of connection to something simple and natural. Hospitals can be places of stress and uncertainty, but they can also be places of beauty, compassion, and renewal. This frog is a small reminder of that.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to Western Health, to the Foundation, and to all the staff who have worked tirelessly to bring this new hospital to life. Your dedication is a blessing to our community. You are the quiet heroes who bring comfort to the sick, strength to the weak, and hope to families in their most difficult moments.

May this frog bring a smile to many faces.

May it remind us of the power of generosity.

And may it stand as a symbol of harmony, good climate, and good conditions for all who enter this place.

Thank you, and may everyone who comes to this hospital be met with healing, compassion, and peace.

20/03/2026

The day before Footscray Hospital opened to patients, a smoking ceremony was held to cleanse and prepare the space.

Wurundjeri Man Daniel Ross performed the ceremony across key indoor and outdoor areas of the hospital, helping to purify the space, remove negative energy and create a welcoming environment for everyone who enters. This important cultural practice was conducted at the request of Wurundjeri Elders - Aunty Gail and Aunty Julianne provided valuable input during the Footscray Hospital design process.

The ceremony marked a new beginning for the site and paid respect to the Traditional Custodians of the land.

Daniel was joined by Western Health Board Chair Professor the Honourable Jill Hennessy, CEO Professor Russell Harrison, Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery Adjunct Professor Shane Crowe, Director, Best Experience (DEI) Alex Potter, Manager Cultural Safety and Training, Aboriginal Health Unit Chris Delamont, and Plenary Health New Footscray Hospital Project Chair Kelvyn Lavelle.

Watch the video to see highlights from this special moment.