Service profile

The primary catchment for Barwon Health services has a population of 350,000, extending to 500,000 for some tertiary services to the South Australian border. The catchment has some seven million visitors each year that impact on service demand. Peak traffic flows at weekends are an unusual characteristic compared with other areas.

Barwon Health serves a geographically dispersed population through 2 major sites with a total of 921 beds and a total of 21 sites overall stretching down the coast to Anglesea, Torquay and Lorne.

Barwon Health is one of the most comprehensive service providers in the state. Health services available through Barwon Health cover the full spectrum from emergency and acute to mental heath, primary care, community services, aged care and subacute/rehabilitation.

Analysis of admission patterns show that Geelong region is around 93% self-sufficient in health service availability through Barwon Health with only a very small number of referrals to hospitals outside the area.

Specialist services extend north to Werribee and south to the South Australian border for major specialties such as cancer, cardiology and cardio-thoracic surgery. With the exception of neurosurgery and transplantation, virtually all other specialties are available in Geelong.

The Geelong Hospital market share of acute public hospital separations by people residing in the region is around 90% with a trend showing Geelong Hospital is maintaining and improving its market share year on year linking with a reduction in referrals to other hospitals outside the area.