The Andrews Labor Government is delivering residents in Melbourne’s southeast better access to urgent mental health treatment with a new mental health alcohol and other drugs (AOD) emergency department hub now open.
The new $5.3 million hub is located within Monash Medical Centre’s emergency department – and is part of the Labor Government’s $32 million investment in six hubs across the state, providing specialist and integrated assessment, treatment and post-discharge support.
The Hubs are for people aged 16 years and over experiencing co-occurring mental health and AOD issues – with patients assessed and treated by an emergency department mental health team of psychiatrists, mental health nurses and social workers.
Hubs are already operating at Barwon Health’s University Hospital Geelong, Western Health’s Sunshine Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, with the Royal Melbourne Hospital hub opening mid-2023 and a Peninsula Health Frankston Hospital hub to open in 2025.
Delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority, the project was delivered as part of the Monash Medical Centre emergency department expansion which added 28 beds along with six short-stay beds for patients, dedicated children’s emergency area and improved ambulance access.
The Victorian Budget 2022/23 invested a further $10 million to deliver extra emergency department hubs for regional Victorians with a hub at Latrobe Regional Hospital and planning for three further hubs in Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton – giving them wraparound healthcare in a dedicated section of the hospital.
This year’s Budget delivers $776 million for mental health and alcohol and other drug services, which will help boost services for Victorians living with co-occurring mental health and addiction or substance use issues.
The Labor Government has started work on delivering 90 per cent of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, with more than $6 billion invested in Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system, including AOD services, since 2020.
As stated by Minster for Mental Health Gabrielle Williams
“This new dedicated emergency mental health hub will provide greater access to urgent and specialised mental health support for Victorians.”
“The hubs are providing specialist care as soon as it’s needed, while also alleviating stress on our emergency workers.”
As stated by Member for Oakleigh Steve Dimopoulos
“The new mental health and alcohol and other drug emergency department hub at Monash Medical Centre means more people requiring urgent care can access the specialist services they need, when they need them.”