Funding welcomed: Goulburn Valley Health chief executive Matt Sharp.
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Rodney Braithwaite
Goulburn Valley Health chief executive Matt Sharp has welcomed funding in the Victorian budget to replace the mental health facilities with a new and expanded facility and the construction of a new 10-bed parenting unit.
Mr Sharp said a broad range of additional funding across regional health services to support pandemic recovery were also welcomed.
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“With the new mental health facility we will be able to increase our bed numbers by 15, which means we have greater access for people to receive care and treatment locally,” he said.
“Inpatient stays can be longer without putting pressure on facilities and we will also have contemporary and up-to-date facilities for our patients and staff.”
The current in-patient facility was built in about 1997.
“Those buildings and facilities have served their purpose well but we need appropriate quiet places, gender separation,” Mr Sharp said.
“It will also allow us to expand the spaces we use for community mental health including consulting, therapy and group-based rooms.”
Mr Sharp said the parenting centre was a great initiative that would make a real difference in people’s lives.
“Anything we can do from an early intervention perspective to support new mothers, new parents, is absolutely essential because we know intervening early leads to much better outcomes,” he said.
