Mental Health Beds Expansion Program – Sunshine Hospital

Why do we need more acute mental health beds?

The Victorian Government is responding to a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System Interim Report through the urgent delivery of more acute mental health facilities and services.

These services will address critical demand issues by increasing capacity, reducing pressure on emergency departments, and providing additional support for people experiencing mental illness who require immediate treatment. More acute mental health beds and services will mean more access for people experiencing severe mental illness, taking the pressure off other public health services.

Where is the new mental health facility located?

The new 52-bed acute mental health facility is located at Sunshine Hospital, 176 Furlong Rd, St Albans.

The new mental health unit at Sunshine Hospital is a natural extension of the existing adult and aged acute mental health unit and is located in the adjacent carpark.

What level of care is provided?

Increased hospital-based care is provided for people experiencing mental illness who require immediate treatment in a contemporary, safe, and high-quality hospital setting.

Who will be supported by these new services?

Severe mental illness affects a range of people from different family, cultural, economic and social backgrounds. The new facilities and services will provide people with better access to mental health services and support and reduce pressure on emergency departments.

The new facility at Sunshine Hospital will provide people aged 18 years and older with better access to mental health services and support and reduce pressure on emergency departments.

What is different about the new hospital-based facilities?

The new facilities have been designed with input from people with lived experience of mental illness such as consumers, families and carers, as well as medical, nursing and allied health professionals and staff.

They provide access to shared internal and outdoor spaces for social, therapeutic and recreational activities to support consumers’ changing needs throughout their stay.

When did construction begin and end on the new mental health facility at Sunshine Hospital?

To meet the critical need and the timelines set by the Royal Commission, innovative new construction methods were used that significantly reduce the traditional building time. They also provide flexibility for current and future health care.

Construction of the new facility at Sunshine Hospital began in mid-2021 and is finished in late 2023.

What health service provider will manage the mental health facility at Sunshine Hospital?

The mental health facility at Sunshine Hospital is managed by Western Health.

Western Health is a major provider of maternity, sub-acute and specialist services in the western region of Melbourne. More information on Western Health can be found on their website.

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

• Mental Health Reform Victoria (MHRV)
• Western Health
• The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s NorthWestern Mental Health
• NTC Architects (principal consultant)
• NH Architecture
• Lendlease Building (managing contractor).