Large parts of two western suburbs hospitals are so old and dilapidated they will soon need to be knocked down and rebuilt, documents for a proposed $550 million redevelopment show.
A women and children’s centre would be built at Sunshine Hospital and Western Hospital Footscray’s emergency department rebuilt under the plans being considered by the state government.
The redevelopment – expected to be announced closer to November’s election – is designed to take pressure off city hospitals, including the Royal Children’s Hospital, which is swamped with demand.
Briefing documents seen by Fairfax Media warn that Western Health will “soon reach a tipping point” with buildings at both Sunshine and the Western Footscray hospitals “too old and dilapidated to simply be renovated”.