Melbourne’s Eastern Health will receive funds to reduce waiting lists for paediatric ear, nose and throat cases particularly in the school holidays with a focus on grommets and tonsillectomy.
The funding will be made available under the Victorian Government’s Better Access for Vic Kids program which is delivering $780,000 in grants to six health services to ensure patients under 18 have shorter wait times for surgery.
The health service will also receive funding for more staff to help conduct audits of paediatric waitlists to identify vulnerable children to ensure they receive their surgery sooner.
Ms Mary-Anne Thomas, Victorian Minister for Health, announced the funding on 12 March 2025 when visiting the Blackburn Public Surgical Centre which the Labor Government established to slash surgery waiting time.
She announced two additional theatres were open at the centre, increasing it to four.
“The new spaces are providing further capacity to deliver more surgery and help cut surgery wait times,” Thomas said. “The two new theatres will help dedicated staff to undertake procedures across a range of specialties including same day endoscopy, orthopaedics, plastics, gynaecology, urology, and ear, nose and throat.”
Delivered alongside the Frankston Public Surgical Centre, the centres can provide more than 14,700 planned surgeries every year.
“Our public surgical centres in Blackburn and Frankston, along with other reform including our Patient Support Units and grants programs for health services, are helping us delivery Victorians faster, safer care when they need it,” she said.
“The pandemic put health systems around the world under unprecedented pressure – Victoria was no different and with a clear plan to catch up on planned surgery, we have been able to deliver remarkable results for Victorians.”
Mr John Mullahy, Member for Glen Waverley, said having more theatres available at Blackburn Public Surgical Centre reassured locals that the surgery they needed would be delivered faster, closer to home.
Mr Matt Fregon, Member for Ashwood, added: “Our investments into planned surgery have already made a difference to locals across Ashwood, and with these new theatres and grants, Eastern Health will be able to deliver even more care, faster.”
Faster care was better for everyone, said Mr Paul Hamer, Member for Box Hill, and meant less pressure on hospitals across the city’s east and getting people back on their feet sooner.
The Victorian Government also announced two new grants programs as part of ongoing, long-term reform to how planned surgery is delivered in Victoria. More than $4 million has been delivered to 16 health services to expand access to same day surgery, helping reduce wait times by allowing a higher volume of care without compromising quality and safety.
Thomas said the most urgent surgery was being delivered faster in Victoria than any other state or territory in Australia due to significant investment and reform by the State Government.
New quarterly data showed 100% of Category One planned surgery patients were treated in the clinically recommended timeframe between October and December, she said.
Data released in March 2025 by the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services found Victoria was the only state or territory to treat all Category One planned surgery patients on time.
