Western Health

It’s been a busy 6 months here at Footscray Hospital!

Thank you to all our staff and volunteers for the incredible work you do every day to care for our community in Melbourne’s west.

Victorian Department of Health

🏗️ Before the first patient walks through the doors of the new Melton Hospital, our teams are already testing out the spaces they’ll be working in.

How do you test a hospital before it's even built?

Inside a Sunshine West warehouse, full-size replica hospital rooms have been created so our clinical, administrative and consumer representatives can walk through the spaces, testing the layouts and equipment before construction is complete.

These realistic mock-ups help us identify what works best for patients and consumers, staff workflows and visitor experience, ensuring the hospital is designed for the people who'll use it every day.

Working alongside the Victorian Health Building Authority, we've also held more than 100 meetings and workshops to help shape the hospital's design.

This collaborative approach is helping create a modern health service that will meet the needs of the growing Melton community. Construction is on track to be finished in 2029.

Organ donation saves lives 💖

This DonateLife Week, DonateLife is asking Australians to register as organ and tissue donors. Registering is quick and easy, via MyGov or the DonateLife website.

If have registered to be a donor, talking with your loved ones can give them the confidence to know that they are honouring your wishes.

Register today and be the reason someone gets a second chance at life.

🖤💛❤️ A strong start for our little ones.

This NAIDOC Week, we're celebrating our incredible Babaneek Booboop early childhood service in Melton.

Babaneek Booboop supports First Nations families from pregnancy through the early years by connecting them with:
• Antenatal, maternity and breastfeeding support
• Playgroups, kindergarten and school enrolments
• Child health checks, immunisations and paediatric assessments

By walking alongside families from the very beginning, the service helps children thrive and supports stronger futures for our community.

First Nations food on the menu for NAIDOC Week 🔴🟡⚫

This NAIDOC Week, patients across Western Health are enjoying a delicious First Nations-inspired meal created through a process of collaboration, learning and respect.

Working alongside Aunty Jean Mason, Sharon Jensen and Nayte Carstairs, our Central Production Kitchen team explored traditional cooking methods and native Australian ingredients before adapting the recipe for large-scale production.

After months of development and taste-testing, the result is lemon myrtle-crusted barramundi served on bush tomato lentils.

It's just one of the ways that we're celebrating the history, culture and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples during NAIDOC Week.

Meet Mandy 🏗️💙

For 25 years, Nurse Unit Manager and proud Melton local Mandy Cullen has cared for our community with compassion and dedication.

Today, her incredible contributions have been recognised by a tower crane bearing her name at the new Melton Hospital construction site.

As the new hospital takes shape, we are celebrating the people who go above and beyond to provide exceptional care.

Congratulations, Mandy, and thank you for everything you do for our community in Melbourne's west.

Victorian Health Building Authority
Lendlease

🎨Artworks bring colour, energy and community stories to Footscray Hospital. 🏥

Footscray Hospital is now home to 83 stunning artworks created by local artist Olana Janfa, titled Heal and Thrive.

Last year, Olana led a series of creative workshops with Footscray Hospital staff and volunteers, community members and local schools to inform the stories and themes of the artworks. These workshops were facilitated by Footscray Hospital’s official arts partner Footscray Community Arts.

Olana’s style is characterised by bright colours, layered textures, and a sense of joyful naivete which brings warmth, calmness, and positive distraction to the hospital environment.

Olana was born in Ethiopia, and says that “Melbourne’s west helps many immigrants navigate the complexities of settling in a new place. The sense of connection I have found here over the years is something I strive to replicate in my works, so that patients, visitors and staff of the new Footscray Hospital feel just as welcomed and valued as I did when I arrived in Footscray.”

Heal and Thrive was commissioned by the Plenary Health consortium in partnership with the project’s arts partner Footscray Community Arts, and in collaboration with Western Health and the Victorian Health Building Authority.

👷‍♂️A familiar face is reaching new heights at the new Melton Hospital site🏗️

A tower crane on site has been named after Western Health legend Eddie Spiteri, recognising his outstanding contribution to Western Health and the local community.

Eddie served as Western Health's Chief Engineer until his retirement in 2025. He was nominated by Western Health staff and volunteers as someone who exemplifies our values and has made a lasting impact in Melton and across our health service.

Congratulations, Eddie, on this well-deserved recognition 🏆

Victorian Health Building Authority and Lendlease recently unveiled the crane bearing Eddie's name, creating a lasting tribute that will stand proudly throughout the construction of the new hospital.