Better Border Health

THE FACTS

BUILD IT ONCE, BUILD IT RIGHT.

NEW HOSPITAL, NEW SITE.

Albury-Wodonga needs a new single-site regional public hospital.

We need:

  • Access to safe and quality care close to home
  • A significant increase in bed stock and surgical theatres
  • An expansion and increase in the range of services offered
  • A teaching hospital to support recruitment and retention of staff

Our public health care service needs us to speak up

Albury Wodonga Health (AWH):

  • Is one of the largest regional health services in Victoria, with a vision of providing care for our community, as close to home as possible.
  • The AWH Clinical Services Plan (2021) highlights the need for significant service expansion – increasing its capacity, capability and complexity of services (e.g. neonatal care and heart surgery).
  • AWH’s catchment population is growing and ageing and has a high incidence of chronic disease.
  • During the next 15 years, AWH’s primary catchment population (Albury and Wodonga) is expected to be almost one-third bigger than it is now.

By 2040, AWH will need to support the following projected annual service demands:

  • Up to 150,000 emergency presentations
  • Up to 80,000 total admissions
  • Approximately 40,000 surgeries
  • 5,700 paediatric admissions
  • 3,200 intensive care patients
  • 1,900 births

^ All projections and demographic information reproduced from the Albury Wodonga Health Clinical Services Plan. Access summary of the plan at https://www.awh.org.au/about-us/our-future/clinical-services-plan.

During 2023-24, further issues have arisen:

  • Speculation a merger plan for AWH with Goulburn Valley Health would see Shepparton take the lead in the Hume region, denied by the Victorian Health Minister;
  • Wodonga Council plans health summit in March 2024.

How we will campaign

ADVOCACY: Consult with Federal and State Health Ministers, local MPs and key regional stakeholders to share the arguments about the need for an appropriately-funded single-site regional public hospital for Albury-Wodonga.

COMMUNICATE: Educate our community via mainstream and social media about the demands upon our existing health service and projected growth in demand. Inform our community as to why a single-site regional public hospital is the best option to meet projected service demands identified in clinical service plans.

RALLIES/PUBLIC FORUMS: Community events throughout the region to engage the community and hear why a new single-site regional public hospital is needed.

PETITIONS: To develop e-petitions to the Federal, NSW and Victorian Governments and collect signatures for them.