Health minister says no timeline for cash for Warrnambool Base Hospital stage two redevelopment

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos says there is no timeline for the stage two redevelopment of the hospital.

Plans for the upgrades include the construction of a new emergency department, additional operating theatres and new patient facilities.

"I can't give you a precise timeline around the redevelopment," Ms Mikakos said.

"We will consider the needs of every community going forward as we look to continue to make improvements to our health services right across Victoria." 

Former Western Victorian MP James Purcell said there was a definite need for the upgrade. 

"The state government put in $7.5 million to take it up to shovel ready," he said. "The community put a lot of work in into putting ideas forward and it's time the government stood up and put their money where their mouth is." 

Ms Mikakos said the government had provided funding in the 2017 budget for the business plans.

"We've got some important election commitments that will make significant differences to healthcare across Warrnambool and regional Victoria," she said. 

"We will improve nurse-patient ratios further - that will mean improvements to nurse and midwifery staffing levels. 

"We will also upgrade the Warrnambool Base Hospital's classification. That will happen during this term of government.

"Over the term of this government there will be another 1100 nurses recruited (across the state)." 

She said the state government had increased funding for the hospital by more than 32 per cent over the past four budgets.

"That means people in that comm get access to the best possible care that they need and that they deserve," she said. 

The 2018 state election survey conducted by The Standard asked residents if public hospitals received enough funding to deliver the right level of care to the community.

More than three quarters of people said no, with others calling on the state government to fund the multi-million dollar redevelopment of the Warrnambool hospital.

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