Community hospitals will:

• enable care to be provided locally, ensuring people can get the care they need - closer to home
• assist in preventing poor health and wellbeing outcomes in communities with vulnerable or at-risk members
• reduce unnecessary attendance and wait times at larger hospitals.

Community hospitals provide an opportunity to create thriving health precincts that will support the health and wellbeing of the local community and bring greater vitality to growing areas.

What is a community hospital?

Community hospitals are a new type of public hospital that are being developed by the Victorian government to provide accessible health services in growing communities. They aim to provide a broad range of walk-in hospital, community health and social care services in one place. This will make it easier for people to receive the services they need – closer to home.

Community hospitals don’t provide emergency department care. People with who present with an emergency at a community hospital will be stabilised and transferred to the most appropriate emergency department.

Planned services at Whittlesea

The City of Whittlesea Community Hospital will service the growing community in the north with an extensive range of public health and urgent care services during the week and out-of-hours, including:

• community mental health assessment
• alcohol and other drug support services
• dialysis and support for both home patients and those that receive centre-based dialysis
• community-based palliative care, chemotherapy and rehabilitation services
• general practice including primary care nursing
• women’s health, including sexual health and family planning
• family and early childhood services
• family safety and crisis support services
• diagnostic services, including pathology and imaging pharmacy services
• public dental services
• day surgery
• chronic disease management.

Community health services will have the opportunity to partner with community hospitals to deliver care locally.

A community consultative committee has been established for the City of Whittlesea Community Hospital. The committee provides a forum for members of the local community to participate in its planning and development through open dialogue and consultation.

The committee includes:

• foundation members from key organisations such as local councils, health service providers and Aboriginal representation
• community members selected by an independent expression of interest process and a limited number of invited community members.

The committee selection approach considered a mix of age, gender and other demographic characteristics as well as a cross-section of interests and community perspectives to ensure diverse representation.

The committee is chaired by: Danielle Green MP, Member for Yan Yean.

Committee members include:

• Stephanie Allan – Northern Health
• Don Tidbury – DPV Health
• Belgin Besim – City of Whittlesea
• Adrian Spinelli – community member
• Andrew Morrison – community member
• Imchai Siriphet – community member
• Ivan Peterson – community member
• Jess Zacharias – community member
• Lucy Gillivour – community member
• Rania Kairouz – community member
• Phillip Bain – community member
• Fiona Parkinson – community member
• Caitlyn Haffenden – community member
• Brett Drummond – community member.
  
  

View Terms of Reference | Download Word version (87 KB)
View Code of Conduct | Download Word version (77 KB) 
 

Please direct project enquiries and feedback to communityhospitals@dhhs.vic.gov.au. To get in touch with the City of Whittlesea community consultative committee, please contact the committee chair at Danielle.Green@parliament.vic.gov.au.