A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will build a better Dandenong Hospital as part of our Hospital Plan for the South-East – delivering better care for families in the booming suburbs.

Every year, the hardworking nurses and doctors at Dandenong Hospital admit more than 31,000 patients and treat more than 79,000 people in the emergency department.

Our south-eastern suburbs are growing rapidly, and the local hospital needs to grow to meet the needs of the community.

We’ve already invested heavily in the south-east. The emergency department at Casey Hospital was funded in our latest budget – and Labor has promised a massive redevelopment of Monash Medical Centre if we’re re-elected.

Now, an investment of up to $295 million will upgrade Dandenong Hospital, including an expanded emergency department expected to treat an extra 12,000 patients every year, a new intensive care unit and a new outpatient clinic.

This investment brings our Hospital Plan for the South-East up to $982 million – delivering better care closer to home for locals in our south-eastern suburbs.

As part of this investment, two new floors will be built above the expanded emergency department, delivering a new intensive care unit, operating theatres and a new outpatient clinic for specialist appointments.

Work on the Dandenong Hospital redevelopment is expected to start by 2026 and create more than 750 jobs through construction alone – boosting job opportunities for locals in the south-east.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas made the announcement today while touring the Victorian Heart Hospital – where major construction on the $577 million facility is now complete.

The Andrews Labor Government has delivered Australia’s first specialist, standalone cardiac hospital – which will provide life-saving treatments and diagnoses for thousands of Victorians each year when it opens for patients in a few months.

Operated by Monash Health and located on the Monash University Clayton campus, the Victorian Heart Hospital has capacity for 206 beds and will provide up to 2,150 cardiac surgeries, 28,300 emergency presentations and 108,000 consultations and outpatient appointments every year.

The new site integrates clinical cardiology services, research and education – allowing patients with heart disease to access world-leading cardiac care and ground-breaking research under one roof.

It will also play an important role in training Australia’s future cardiac medicine, nursing and allied health professionals, with more than 300 undergraduate students, 260 postgraduate students and 20 PhD students to train on site each year.

Cardiac patients in country Victoria will also benefit from modern telehealth facilities, connecting specialists with regional patients and their local doctors, reducing the need to travel to and from specialist appointments.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia, with one Australian dying every 12 minutes from cardiovascular disease. By building Australia’s first dedicated heart hospital, the Labor Government is taking an important step towards better heart health for all Australians.

Matthew Guy’s Liberals can’t be trusted to build the hospitals Victorians need. When they were last in government, the Liberals cut $1 billion from health – and they botched the delivery of the Eye and Ear Hospital, which Labor stepped in to fix.

As one of Jeff Kennett’s most trusted advisers, Matthew Guy helped the Liberals privatise public hospitals, close more than 1000 hospital beds and shut many of our vital regional health services.

Only Labor can be trusted to invest in and build the hospitals that give Victorians the very best healthcare – because only Labor is doing what matters.

The Victorian Heart Hospital was delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA), in partnership with Monash Health, Monash University and John Holland.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“The Victorian Heart Hospital will change lives and save lives – further cementing Victoria at the forefront of medical research, while boosting our healthcare workforce with the next generation of cardiac specialists.”

“Only Labor is doing what matters – delivering a better Dandenong Hospital as part of our Hospital Plan for the South-East.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas

“Matthew Guy’s Liberals promised Victorians an Eye and Ear Hospital. Instead, they bungled the project by failing to properly plan for significant asbestos removal and left behind a $30 million black hole.”

“The Liberals failed to deliver hundreds of hospital beds they promised – just like they won’t deliver on their promises now. They just can’t be trusted to provide the health services Victorians need.”

Quote attributable to Member for Oakleigh Steve Dimopoulos

“The Victorian Heart Hospital is the first of its kind in Australia – and it’ll join an elite league of facilities around the world as a centre of excellence for the research, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.”

Quote attributable to Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams

“Our south-eastern suburbs are booming, so the local hospitals need to grow too. Labor’s Hospital Plan for the South-East will deliver an upgraded Casey Hospital, Monash Medical Centre and Dandenong Hospital – making sure locals get quality care closer to home.”