Victoria’s new Footscray Hospital adds 200 beds, advanced radiology services

It hosts the state's first fully public pathology service.

The Allan Labor Government has officially opened the new Footscray Hospital to provide faster and more accessible healthcare for families in western suburbs.

The new hospital will feature more than 500 beds, an increase of 200, and is expected to treat an additional 15,000 patients each year. Planned surgery patients will benefit from new, high-tech operating theatres, which are also connected to other Western Health sites for education, case planning, and improved patient care.

Radiology services have also been upgraded, with three premium CT scanners, including one in the emergency department, and an expanded MRI capacity from one to three machines.

The hospital also hosts Victoria’s first fully public pathology service, supporting the entire Western Health network and enabling faster, higher-quality testing and diagnosis.

Specialist care will be more accessible thanks to additional consultation spaces. The hospital also includes an education and training centre, run by Victoria University, aimed at training the next generation of nurses, midwives, and allied health workers. It will provide skills development and employment pathways for students studying physiotherapy, speech pathology, dietetics, biomedicine, and psychology.

About 180 patients were already transferred from the old hospital as the previous emergency department closed.

Thousands of staff began their first shifts, with services including the emergency department, surgery, intensive care, coronary care, and mental health now fully operational. Around 4,500 staff undertook training to support the transition.

Labor has now delivered 11 new hospitals across the state, with the government reaffirming its commitment to supporting Victoria’s nurses and midwives.