The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital’s $317.6 million redevelopment, officially opened on 23 April 2024 , has capacity to treat an additional 7,000 patients each year.
Victorian Minister for Health and Health Infrastructure, Ms Mary-Anne Thomas, officiated at the opening of the redeveloped world class specialist health, research and education facility, unveiling a plaque commemorating the occasion.
“The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital has a long history of delivering world-renowned care, treatment and research – this redevelopment will help them continue this groundbreaking work,” Thomas said.
“More Victorians will now be able to get the specialist eye and ear, nose and throat public health care they need with the hospital upgrade expanding its capacity to treat an additional 7,000 patients each year.”
The state-of-the-art upgrade boasts a new 13-cubicle 24-hour emergency department (ED), ED Short Stay Unit with four 24-hour beds, perioperative suite with eight upgraded operating theatres and 14 recovery spaces, as well as a further 37 same-day beds and 42 consulting rooms.
There is an additional inpatient ward with 24 beds, and a dedicated floor for clinics, offering more than 90 specialist services.
Improved teaching, training and research facilities are now on upper levels, with patient services located on the first three floors of the buildings to improve navigation across the hospital.
The redevelopment also delivered a new Central Sterile Services Department and a full upgrade of the hospital’s engineering infrastructure and central plant, making the hospital safer and more efficient.
Thomas revealed the Victorian Government invested $144.7 million toward the project, with the Commonwealth providing $100 million, and the hospital an additional $72.9 million.
The hospital provided more than 192,000 episodes of care in 2022-2023, which included over 136,000 specialist clinic appointments, 42,371 emergency attendances and more than 14,000 inpatient admissions.
More than 41,000 ENT presentations
More than 41,000 patients attended the hospital for ear, nose and throat conditions in 2022-2023 including 13,829 emergency department presentations, 1,789 inpatient admissions and 25,523 seen in specialist clinics. This included 5,370 patients at otology specialist clinics and 5,927 at cochlear implant specialist clinics.
The hospital’s CEO Mr Brendon Gardner said he looked forward to seeing the positive impact the redeveloped hospital would have on metropolitan, regional and rural patients.
“As Australia’s only eye, ear, nose, and throat hospital, today signifies a new chapter in our 161-year history,” he said. “As Victoria’s third oldest public hospital, our specialist knowledge and expertise position us well to continue to provide the best care for Victorians over the next 160 years and beyond.”
Established in 1863, The Eye and Ear was instrumental in developing the world-leading bionic ear, which later became the groundbreaking Cochlear implant. It is Victoria’s leading provider of eye and ear health, integrating clinical care, research and education to optimise innovation and provide advanced treatments for vision and hearing loss.
“The Eye and Ear was built on three pillars; care, training and research,” said Associate Professor Penelope Allen, head of the Eye and Ear’s Vitreoretinal Surgical Unit.
“What is most profound to me is that we are all still upholding these principles today. Doctors from all over the world come to train at the hospital in ophthalmology and otolaryngology, to learn from leaders in the industry and colleagues, renowned here and internationally.”
The redevelopment also supported 2,500 local jobs throughout the project.
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