A new women’s and children’s facility for Geelong

The Victorian Government has committed more than $500 million to deliver new and expanded women’s and children’s services in Geelong.

The new Barwon Women’s and Children’s will provide world-class maternity and paediatric facilities and deliver additional capacity to ensure families in Geelong and surrounding communities can continue to access the very best care, close to home.

Operated by Barwon Health, the new facilities will be built within the University Hospital Geelong precinct and will house a new children’s inpatient unit, new neonatal and patient care unit, specialist (outpatient) clinics and four new operating theatres.

Purpose-built spaces for children and young people, including overnight and same-day beds, outpatient clinic rooms and dedicated theatres, will make medical care less scary and intimidating.

A modern design and layout, including the co-location of services, will improve patient flow to deliver a safer and more efficient workplace for staff and seamless care for patients.

Scope

The new Barwon Women’s and Children’s will integrate with existing University Hospital Geelong services and will deliver additional capacity to meet increasing demand in the Barwon South West region.

The new facilities will provide:

• more maternity inpatient beds
• more paediatric multi-day/same day inpatient beds
• more special care nursery cots
• more birthing suites
• more operating theatres
• expanded paediatric and maternity outpatient facilities.

{slider Frequently asked questions}

Where will the new Barwon Women’s and Children’s be located?

The new Barwon Women’s and Children’s will be built within the University Hospital Geelong precinct.

Will this be a public hospital? Who will operate the Barwon Women’s and Children’s?

Barwon Health will continue to operate women’s and children’s health services as part of University Hospital Geelong. Barwon Health is a public health service.

How much funding has been committed?

The Victorian Government committed $500-525 million in funding for the new Barwon Women’s and Children’s in the 2022-23 State Budget.

The total estimated investment includes $50 million in funding from the Commonwealth Government as part of the Community Health and Hospitals Program agreement.

Will there be an emergency department in the Barwon Women’s and Children’s?

The Victorian Government is also investing $20 million to deliver a new emergency department zone for children at University Hospital Geelong.

Located within the existing emergency department, the dedicated paediatric zone will have its own entrance and will provide a calm and comfortable environment for children and their families.

The new Barwon Women’s and Children’s will be designed to ensure easy access from the new children’s emergency facilities as part of an integrated hospital precinct.

Why is BWC being built?

The new Barwon Women’s and Children’s will deliver additional capacity to meet the growing needs of Geelong and surrounding communities.

The demand for women’s and children’s services in the region is expected to increase significantly in coming years, driven by the growing population in the region.

Barwon Women’s and Children’s will provide expanded facilities at University Hospital Geelong to allow more families to access care in Geelong, minimising the need to travel to Melbourne.

When is construction expected to start?

Early works are expected to commence in late 2022.

Will services at University Hospital Geelong be impacted during construction?

We are committed to ensuring the accessibility, safety and wellbeing of staff and community are supported at all times during construction.

Will nearby residents and businesses be impacted during construction?

We will work closely with contractors and Barwon Health to minimise disruptions to neighbouring residents and businesses.

Works notices will be issued to nearby residents and businesses in advance of any expected disruptions such as changes to traffic or works expected to generate noise or dust.

Partners

This project is being delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with Barwon Health.

The Commonwealth Government has provided $50 million in funding for the Barwon Women’s and Children’s as part of the Community Health and Hospitals Program agreement.

Contact

Barwon Health

You can get in touch with us via:

Email: [email protected]

Mail: Barwon Women’s and Children’s

C/O CEO Office

University Hospital Geelong

Bellarine St, Geelong, VIC, 3220

Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA)

If you have any questions about the construction of the facilities, you can contact the VHBA project team at [email protected].