New private hospital opens in Melbourne's west

A new 75-bed private hospital has opened in the Health Wellbeing and Education precinct of Sunshine Private Hospital.

The hospital in Melbourne’s western suburbs features four operating theatres, an endoscopy suite, a 30-bed medical and surgical ward including high dependency beds, a 21-bed women’s mental health inpatient unit, mental health outpatient services, consulting suites and sleep study facilities.

The $140 million hospital with a five-star Green Star rating is owned by Australian Unity’s $3.8 billion Healthcare Property Trust. Construction of the hospital commenced in April 2021.

The hospital, operated by Unitas Healthcare as its major tenant under a 30-year lease, is home to health services including Capital Radiology, Fresenius Dialysis services, Royal Children’s Hospital, Monash IVF and Melbourne Pathology.

In the long term, Sunshine Private Hospital is expected to undergo further expansion that will increase both inpatient bed count and operating theatres to grow with local demand and changing patient healthcare needs over time.

Dr Malak Sukkar, CEO Unitas Healthcare, said, “With the population of Melbourne’s west booming and set to gain more than half a million new residents by 2036 , it’s clear that specialist medical and surgical services are urgently needed to meet community needs and ensure patients are not travelling excessive distances for care.

Chris Smith, General Manager Healthcare Property at Australian Unity, said the hospital’s facilities will deliver vital health infrastructure for Melbourne’s west and long-term value to investors in Australian Unity’s Healthcare Property Trust.

“With a large parcel of surrounding land owned by the Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust, the years ahead will be exciting as we seek further opportunities to develop the site and expand Sunshine Private Hospital’s facilities with the growth and shifting needs of the community.”

Image credit: iStockphoto.com/danieldep