The Victorian government is delivering a dedicated children’s emergency department within the University Hospital Geelong, with new designs revealing the planned facade and treatment spaces.
The $20-million facility will be designed by health architecture specialists Silver Thomas Hanley as a “child-friendly environment” with “calming, soft colours and decor,” the Victorian Health Building Authority said.
The children’s emergency department will include 28 additional dedicated treatment spaces including two fast-track and eight short-stay beds. It will also include new treatment rooms and support spaces, a separate paediatric triage system, and a dedicated waiting area.
Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas said the project is intended to deliver faster access to care and treatment for families with young children.
Architectural render of the reception area for the paediatric emergency department.
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Silver Thomas Hanley
“This multi-million-dollar project will provide kids in Geelong with faster access to the care and treatment they need and a safer and more suitable work environment for the region’s amazing health care workers,” said Thomas. “We’re making sure kids in Geelong and the Barwon region get the quick, dedicated care they need so that they feel better sooner and in a safe, calm and comforting environment.”
The project is part of the government’s wider $102-million investment to deliver dedicated children’s emergency areas across some of the state’s busiest hospitals. Other projects in the program include children’s emergency departments in the Northern, Frankston, Casey and Maroondah hospitals.
This investment builds on the $500-million commitment in the 2022/23 Victorian Budget to develop the future Barwon Women’s and Children’s Hospital, which will integrate with the existing University Hospital Geelong services.
Construction on the children’s emergency department is expected to begin in February 2023, with completion slated for July 2024.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
