The Plenary Group has announced that the construction of the AU$1.5 billion (US$969 million) Footscray Hospital approaches completion, with doors set to open to patients in February 2026.

Over 4,500 staff are set to begin a comprehensive training program totaling 22,000 hours, focusing on the new hospital’s cutting-edge facilities and technologies. As part of this preparation, 200 specialist personnel will engage in 26 clinical simulation exercises to trial critical care procedures in the new environment. To support a smooth transition and ensure uninterrupted patient care from day one, more than 4,000 pieces of clinical and operational equipment will be systematically relocated to the new site. A team of 10 pharmacists will complete over 1,200 hours of work to order, install, and stock medications in the central pharmacy, while 180 rooms across the facility will be equipped with essential medical supplies. Spanning more than 180,000 square metres—roughly the size of nine MCGs—the new hospital features a 12-storey main inpatient tower, four additional buildings, and 16 operating theatres. Once fully operational, it will house over 500 beds—an increase of 200—and is expected to accommodate around 15,000 more patients and handle 20,000 additional emergency department visits annually, addressing the rising healthcare demand in Melbourne’s western suburbs. 

Current services—including emergency care, a new Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Hub, surgical procedures, intensive and coronary care, mental health support, and other clinical services—will be relocated to the new facility. The New Footscray Hospital will also feature Victoria’s first fully public pathology service, equipped with a cutting-edge laboratory that will serve the entire Western Health network. Led by Plenary Group, the Plenary Health consortium is delivering the project in collaboration with the Victorian Government and Western Health. The hospital is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with the transfer of existing patients to the new site scheduled to take place over 24 hours in February.