By Glenn Le Claire – health sector employee working at the intersection of health and technology
There is a new public, community hospital now under construction in Point Cook, finally giving a much-needed boost to the vital health infrastructure in the western suburbs.
This is the first additional hospital for the west since the opening of Werribee Mercy in 1994 and the closure of Altona hospital in 1996.
It is located adjacent to the Point Cook Town Centre.
The location took into consideration community feedback which requested priority be given to a central location, proximity to public transport, and onsite parking for those who drive.
This location is very tight, chosen long after the site was hemmed in by development around it, leaving no place to go but up. The building is planned to be three stories, but will this be large enough to serve the future of Point Cook?
This hospital is classified as “community” due to its smaller size and its limited hours, providing day and after-hours services only. This does raise concerns that calling it a “hospital” may set unmet expectations for the average person as it is not expected to include emergency services or overnight, inpatient beds.
The Point Cook Community Hospital will be managed by Western Health which manages Footscray, Sunshine, Bachus Marsh, Sunbury, and Williamstown hospitals.
The site infrastructure is expected to allow for a range of services to be delivered including:
- Diagnostic services, including public and private pathology and medical imaging
- Pharmacy services
- Public dental services
- Chronic disease management
- Mental health services
- Alcohol and other drug support services
- Dialysis and support for both home patients and centre-based dialysis
- Community-based palliative care, chemotherapy and rehabilitation
- General practice including primary care nursing
- Women’s health
- Family and early childhood services
- Family safety and crisis support services
The Point Cook Community Hospital was first promised by the state government in 2018 with completion originally planned in 2024. Community consultation sessions were held, and subsequent site investigation works took place in 2019.
The COVID pandemic intervened from 2020 – 2022, forcing the prioritisation of vital government healthcare spending and focus on existing hospitals.
As of May 2025, the government promoted its investment of over $634 million into the healthcare system in the 2025 – 2026 state budget but concerns have been raised in parliament as recently as May about the lack of money allocated to the Point Cook Community Hospital and the lack of progress of the project.
Construction began in August 2025 and is well underway along with some limited traffic closures in the area.
Major construction is expected to be completed in 2026 with no specific date available. Commissioning of services is likely to take additional time, possibly several months, making an opening in 2026 very optimistic and more likely pushing into 2027, almost 10 years after the original proposal.
Meanwhile, the outer western suburbs continue to grow while most infrastructure struggles to keep pace.
For your nearest emergency services in the Point Cook area see:
Williamstown Hospital, Stewart St, Williamstown VIC 3016
Werribee Mercy Hospital, 300 Princes Hwy, Werribee VIC 3030
Sunshine Hospital, 176 Furlong Rd, St Albans VIC 3021
