Western Health

17/12/2025

We are thrilled to announce that the Footscray Hospital Community Open Day will be on Sunday, 1 February 2026.

This Community Open Day is an opportunity to celebrate the new Footscray Hospital, before it officially opens to the public on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.

The Community Open Day is a free event. Tickets are limited and registration is essential.

Western Health has partnered with Open House Melbourne to produce a self-guided audio tour of the new Hospital. Self-guided tours will run from 10am to 5pm (last entry 4pm).

We hope you can join us for a family-friendly day of fun and discovery.

👉 Book your ticket today at https://openhousemelbourne.org/event/footscray-hospital-community-open-day/

Footscray Hospital Community Open Day is presented by Western Health and Open House Melbourne, with thanks to the Plenary Health consortium, Victorian Government, and Victoria University, Melbourne Australia

15/12/2025

🎥 Channel 9 captured an important milestone ahead of the opening of the new Footscray Hospital on Wednesday 18 February 2026.

This milestone was a mock move exercise that allowed us to thoroughly test logistics, communications, governance and clinical processes in a realistic, controlled environment.

It was great to have the Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas MP, Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne MP, and the local Member for Footscray Katie Hall MP, visit us for part of today's exercise in support of this important milestone.

Thank you to our staff, volunteers, patient transport partners and Footscray Hospital Public Private Partnership members for the extensive planning, commitment and support that made this insightful and successful exercise possible. 🙏

11/12/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Dr Claire Long on receiving the Western Health 2025 Board Chair Medal!

At our Annual General Meeting, Western Health Board Chair Prof. The Hon. Jill Hennessy presented Dr Long with this prestigious honour in recognition of her exceptional leadership, advocacy and commitment to patient care.

Starting at Western Health as a medical student, Dr Long has become a highly respected Clinical Services Director who leads with integrity, kindness and an unwavering focus on patient safety.

Her work has driven major improvements across Aged, General Medicine and Subacute services including advancements such as the high-risk pre-operative optimisation clinic.

Her colleagues describe her as supportive, authentic and fiercely committed to her team and patients. 🌟

Read on 👉 https://westernhealth.org.au/news/distinguished-healthcare-leader-receives-board-chair-medal

📷 L-R: Western Health Board Chair Prof. The Hon. Jill Hennessy, award winner Dr Claire Long, and Western Health Chief Executive Officer Prof. Russell Harrison.

02/12/2025

We’re thrilled to announce that the new Footscray Hospital will open to patients on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.

Located on the corner of Ballarat Road and Geelong Road, the new hospital will replace the original Footscray Hospital on Gordon Street.

Years of planning and dedication from our Western Health teams, the Victorian Government and our project partners Plenary Health, Victoria University, Melbourne Australia, Victorian Health Building Authority and Multiplex Construction have gone into creating a world-class facility that will transform healthcare for our community.

Our focus is on ensuring a smooth, safe and seamless transition and continuing to deliver the very best care throughout and post the move.

27/11/2025

Celebrating more than 100 years of dedicated service at Western Health 🎉

Today, we celebrate an incredible milestone as we recognise sisters Lyn Tyrrell and Elaine Morrison, who together have contributed over 100 years of service to Western Health.

Lyn retires today after starting her journey in 1968, and later helping her sister Elaine join Western Health in 1975. Elaine has since retired, and together they have shared decades of commitment, friendship and care for our community 💙

Throughout her time working in administration, Lyn has built lasting friendships, cherished memories, and a legacy of kindness and commitment. She fondly recalls the old Hospital fete held on the grass area that is now the Gordon Street main entrance.

While she will miss her colleagues, Lyn will not be far away and has promised to visit the new hospital and say hello 👋

Thank you, Lyn and Elaine, for your extraordinary contribution to Western Health 🌟

📸L-R: Joe Debono, Western Health Director People and Culture Operations and Workforce Systems, Elaine Morrison (seated), Lyn Tyrell, Western Health Acting Chief Executive Officer John Ferraro

26/11/2025

We are proud to share that Western Health has won the Excellence in Women’s Health at the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards 🏆. We are humbled by this recognition and thank our staff for the care and commitment they bring to our community 💛.

Our Custodial Health Addiction Medicine Clinic at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre won its category of Excellence in Women’s Health. This clinic delivers specialist, trauma-informed care in a custodial health setting, and is contributing to national reform through the National Prison Addiction Medicine Network.

We were also finalists in Excellence in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Premier’s Large Health Service of the Year categories. We are grateful that this work has been recognised and we thank the teams involved ⭐.

Congratulations to all the finalists across Victoria 👏

25/11/2025

📚🌏 Thank you Diggers Rest Primary School! Your generosity means the same in every language 😍

Today, our Newborn Services team at Joan Kirner Women's and Children's received a visit from the Diggers Rest Primary student leadership team, who gifted us a beautiful library of multicultural children's books. These books, in Vietnamese, Burmese, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Tamil and Punjabi will help families read to their babies in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the languages that feel most familiar and comforting.

Reading supports bonding and early language development, and this donation helps us offer that experience to even more families across Melbourne’s west.

A huge thank you to the Diggers Rest Primary School community for choosing Newborn Services as your 2025 Inclusive Fundraiser, and for raising an incredible $1,616 to fund this thoughtful gift. Your kindness will make a real difference to little lives. 💛👶📖

21/11/2025

⚠️ Important public health alert from the Victorian Department of Health

Please share to help raise awareness across our community.

Testing in an Australian accredited laboratory has identified asbestos contamination in some imported coloured and decorative sand products used in children’s play and craft activities.

Education providers, retailers and families are advised to stop using any identified products, and to follow recall and disposal instructions.

Preliminary assessment indicates that there is a low risk to human health from these products.

While further analysis is underway, regulatory authorities are taking a precautionary approach to minimise any potential risk.

For more information and advice: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/enhealth-interim-advice-asbestos-contamination-identified-in-imported-colouredkinetic-sand-products?language=en

For the list of products: https://www.productsafety.gov.au/search-consumer-product-recalls/educational-colours-rainbow-sand-13kg-creatistics-coloured-sand-1kg-and-kadink-coloured-decorative-sand-13kg

12/11/2025

This month – Lung Cancer Awareness Month – we want to thank the incredible multidisciplinary team that supports more than 450 lung cancer patients at our health service each year.

More importantly, we want to acknowledge our lung cancer patients, and all of our cancer patients. We’re with you. All the way.

10/11/2025

🎉This year, Western Health nurses Olga Learoyd and Beverly Howard are both celebrating 50 years of continuous service at Footscray Hospital. 🎉

And last night, their incredible contribution to our health service - and their commitment to countless patients - was recognised on Nine News, in an interview with Jo Hall.

Western Health CEO Professor Russell Harrison says Beverly and Olga’s 2025 milestone “is testament to their character and their caring skills”.

Surgeon Dr Matthew Croxford has worked with the close friends for several decades.

“I’m lucky enough that I get to work with them both regularly,” he said. “It’s a joy having that degree of experience working in the operating suite.”

👏Congratulations, Beverly and Olga! Thanks for your dedication and boundless energy.

Watch it here 👉

Two theatre nurses at Footscray hospital have achieved the impressive milestone of 50 years each on the job. As Jo Hall discovered, the good mates are passionate…

07/11/2025

Tomorrow is World Radiography Day!

Meet some of our talented Radiology team and hear what inspired them to pursue this vital profession. Their stories may differ, but their passion is the same: delivering the best care for our community.

With more than 200 radiographers and sonographers working across four Western Health sites, we’re proud to celebrate the skill and dedication they bring every day.

06/11/2025

🌹We are deeply saddened to share the passing of long-time Western Health volunteer Betty Millett, at the age of 89🌹

Betty was honoured earlier this year for her extraordinary contribution of 35 years of service. Betty led the Maribyrnong Auxiliary for more than 20 years, following ten years as its secretary.

Betty’s warmth, loyalty and determination made her a much-loved part of our Western Health community. She was part of a proud four-generation fundraising family, and her knitted baby jackets, beanies and booties, often in footy colours, brought smiles to countless families.

Betty’s story is told beautifully in this video by the 'Faces of Footscray' arts project by Plenary Health and Footscray Community Arts

🔗 https://www.facebook.com/reel/3405766689636946

Our heartfelt condolences go to Betty’s family, including Sandra, Steven, Georgia, Jacob and Lauren.