Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas has expressed concerns about the performance of Mildura Base Public Hospital (MBPH), citing data that shows the facility has some of the state’s worst emergency department wait times.
Recent figures from the Victorian Agency for Health Information revealed that 3.28 per cent of all patients at MBPH—266 individuals—waited more than 24 hours for treatment in the emergency department between January and March this year. The hospital recorded the highest percentage of prolonged emergency stays in the state during February and March, with average wait times more than eight times higher than the statewide figure.
Speaking at a parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday, Thomas explained her decision to extend the term of Therese Tierney, the government-appointed delegate to the MBPH board. Originally appointed for three months, Tierney will now serve an additional year. Thomas said the extension was aimed at ensuring the people of Mildura receive “the highest quality care.” She also announced the opening of four sub-acute beds this week to ease emergency department congestion. These beds are being relocated from the hospital’s maternity ward.
MBPH board chair Frank Piscioneri said the hospital urgently needs greater state government support. He noted a sharp increase in demand across both the emergency department and general wards in recent years. “We’re at full capacity from a staffing point of view,” he said. “The real solution is infrastructure—more beds in both the emergency department and wards.”
Piscioneri added that despite repeated meetings with government officials, no significant progress has been made. “Our capacity challenges are becoming more urgent by the day,” he said.
Health Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne told the inquiry on Friday that her department had not been directed to upgrade MBPH’s emergency department and did not have access to the hospital’s services or master plans. A master plan commissioned by the government in 2021 has yet to be released.
Member for Mildura Jade Benham urged the government to make the master plan public and called for funding to add 30 more beds to the hospital. In May, a concept design of a new hospital appeared online, published by architecture firm HSPC Health Architects, but no official documentation has been released.
Health Department Secretary Jenny Atta confirmed that no date had been set for the master plan’s release. She said a final version would only be published after an investment decision had been made and the latest information could be included.
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