Long-awaited Warrnambool Base Hospital ED expansion works begin

Builders started establishing work offices, fences and protective hoarding on the site on January 15 2024 with South West Healthcare advising patients access points to the ED had changed.

"In consideration of patient safety, once construction begins (and protective hoarding and fences are in place) motor vehicle and pedestrian access to the emergency department forecourt (entry on Ryot Street) will be limited," the health service said.

"A dedicated two-minute urgent patient drop-off zone will be established within the ED forecourt while all other areas will be restricted and reserved exclusively for construction personnel and ambulances."

The hospital has worked with Warrnambool City Council to establish temporary dedicated 15 and 30-minute pick-up and drop-off parking on Ryot Street adjacent to the ED forecourt entrance, along with disabled parking. The walking entrance to the ED will be via the covered walkway fronting Ryot Street.

The expansion works have been a long time coming with the Warrnambool ED experiencing growing demand over recent years and record wait times in late 2022 and early 2023.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic the ED came under huge pressure from increased presentations with staff concerned about having to treat patients in corridors. The issues persisted into 2022 as wait times hit record highs through the back-half of the year and some patients complained of wait times topping 10 hours.

In response to the problems SWH appointed an emergency department operations manager in December 2022 and wait times dropped by more than 40 per cent in 2023.

The hospital is in the early stages of a $384 million redevelopment that will build a brand new emergency area on Timor Street. But a review of the way the current ED functioned - particularly the physical "workflow" of the department - found an interim upgrade was necessary.

The project was initially scheduled to start in late 2023 but was pushed out to 2024 rather than start immediately before the Christmas and new year break, which often coincides with peak ED demand.

The renovation will expand the cramped waiting room as well as create a new triage and reception area to make the space more comfortable for patients and more functional for staff. There will also be new amenities for patients with extra toilets, televisions and vending machines, following complaints about the lack of food from patients waiting hours to be seen by a doctor.

Within the medical area there will be four new treatment and consultation spaces along with medical rooms and staff spaces, which will enable the medical staff to implement a fresh "model of care" with a fast-track zone for patients arriving by ambulance.

SWH hired Melbourne construction company Bowden Corporation to do the renovation with the project scheduled for completion by the end of 2024.