Formed in 1998, Barwon Health is one of the largest and most comprehensive regional health services in Australia, providing care at all stages of life and circumstance. Health services available through Barwon Health cover the full spectrum from primary care, community services, aged care, rehabilitation, mental health, emergency and acute care. With the exception of neurosurgery and transplantation, virtually all other specialties are available through University Hospital Geelong.

Barwon Health provides services for everyone who needs care, regardless of their financial status or the location of their usual residence. As a regional health service, we provide leadership and tertiary referral services across the Barwon South West region. Our local community is the G21 region which comprises the residents of the City of Greater Geelong, Colac Otway Shire, Golden Plains Shire, Borough of Queenscliffe and Surf Coast Shire.

Care is provided to the community through:

  • Community health services at key locations throughout the region.
  • Aged care through the McKellar Centre and its sites in North Geelong and Charlemont.
  • Rehabilitation services both as an inpatient at the McKellar Centre and outpatient services at North Geelong and Belmont.
  • A major teaching hospital and its associated services.
  • With more than 8,700 staff, we are one of Australia’s largest regional employers and a major education provider through our relationships with Deakin University, University of Melbourne, Monash University, the Gordon and a number of other educational centres and universities.

Barwon Health Statement of Commitment to Child Safety

  • Barwon Health is committed to the health, safety, wellbeing and empowerment of all children and young people and has zero tolerance for child abuse.
  • We are committed to providing a child-safe environment where the health of children and young people is promoted and where they are safe, feel safe, are encouraged to communicate their concerns, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their health and lives.
  • We are committed to preventing child abuse and have processes in place to identify and respond to child abuse and to actively reduce risks.
  • We are committed to providing training and education materials and resources to support and maintain the currency of the knowledge of our workforce.
  • We value the role of families and carers in the lives of children and young people and have processes in place to involve them in decision-making and to support communications with them.
  • Allegations of abuse and neglect and safety concerns will be treated seriously and consistently with our policies and procedures and legal obligations.

Families and Carers Rights and Responsibilities

The Carers Recognition Act 2012 acknowledges the important role of carers and introduced the principle that, where appropriate, carers should be involved in the assessment, planning, delivery and review of services that affect them and the care relationship.

Families and carers are important contributors to the care and wellbeing of our consumers and their ongoing recovery. Every effort is made to support the role of families and carers and to encourage and promote their involvement in all elements of our service delivery.

Barwon Health works in partnership with families and carers to bring about the best possible healthcare outcomes for consumers.

Barwon Health organisational structure

See an overview of Barwon Health’s organisational structure.

Page last updated: August 1, 2024