Grand plan to transform Victoria’s quarantine hub

Opposition Leader Matt Guy will on Sunday outline a plan to convert up to 250 beds at the Centre for National Resilience in Melbourne’s north to care for non-acute patients.This would reduce “bed block” in hospital wards that is contributing to chronic ambulance ramping and delays. The crisis recently led to Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne’s east erecting makeshift tents to treat patients while they waited for space in permanent wards. Mr Guy said transfers to the quarantine hub – called the Centre for National Resilience — would be voluntary, and the scheme would be aimed at people with low care needs waiting for long-term accommodation, such as NDIS or aged care patients. “Fixing the health crisis will take innovative, positive solutions – and that is what this plan is all about,” Mr Guy said.“It makes no sense that Mickleham should sit empty while we have a health crisis that is worsening by the day.”If elected in November, the coalition would request support from the Australian Defence Force to help staff the Mickleham facility, and source healthcare staff outside of the hospital system. quarantine hubState funding would be allocated from money saved by the coalition dumping the Andrews Government’s $34.5 billion Suburban Rail Loop.On Friday, 34 people were in the quarantine facility, which is in danger of becoming a white elephant now that there are no requirements for Covid-19 patients to isolate. The Centre for National Resilience cost $580 million to build and is owned by the Commonwealth – but is currently being run by the state under a licence agreement. In July, the Sunday Herald Sun revealed that the cost of quarantining 1900 visitors who had stayed at the Mickleham centre was about $13,000 a head, with staff numbers now scaled back from 550 at its February opening, to 186 last month.Mr Guy said there was an opportunity to convert a quarter of the facility, which is split into four “villages” of 250 beds, to temporary ‘hospital’ use.“We need to take advantage of this facility which in a short period of time could be used to accommodate hundreds of willing patients who no longer require acute hospital care and would be more comfortable in a setting with full support while they await placement into aged care or special accommodation,” he said. Any change in the centre’s use would need to be approved by the Commonwealth under a new licence agreement. Test Tracker 2Last month, federal Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said there was “flexibility for governments to agree to non-quarantine uses for the centre”. “The design of the centres opens up possibilities to support: health systems, future health emergencies; humanitarian efforts,” she said. State Opposition health spokeswoman, Georgie Crozier, said the Liberal National plan was about giving patients choice, and boosting capacity in hospitals.“Many patients awaiting transfer to longer term accommodation would be more comfortable in Mickleham being appropriately supported than remaining in a busy hospital ward,” she said.“It’s something that could be done immediately to free up some hospital beds and allow more Victorians to be treated in our hospital system.”