Mildura Base Public Hospital (MBPH) is currently facing significant challenges that have raised concerns about its capacity to provide timely and effective healthcare services to the Mildura community and surrounding areas. The hospital, a key public healthcare facility in regional Victoria, has been struggling with extended emergency department wait times, overcrowding, and urgent infrastructure needs.
Between January and March 2025, data from the Victorian Agency for Health Information revealed troubling statistics for MBPH. During this period, 266 patients waited longer than 24 hours for emergency treatment. This figure accounts for 3.28 percent of all emergency patients treated at the hospital, a rate considerably higher than the statewide average. In fact, during February and March 2025, MBPH recorded the worst emergency department stay rates in Victoria, performing over eight times worse than other hospitals in the state. Such delays highlight the intense pressure the hospital is under and point to systemic issues in managing patient flow and capacity.
The hospital board has expressed ongoing concerns about the situation. Board chair Frank Piscioneri has emphasized that MBPH is operating at full capacity and urgently requires expanded infrastructure to meet community needs. He pointed out that both the emergency department and inpatient wards need more beds to reduce overcrowding and improve patient care. Despite several meetings with state officials and health ministers, Piscioneri reports little progress has been made toward addressing these infrastructure shortages, underscoring the critical need for government investment.
To help ease pressure on emergency services, the Victorian government has taken some immediate steps. This includes opening four new sub-acute beds, which were repurposed from the hospital’s maternity ward. Additionally, the government extended the appointment of Therese Tierney, a government delegate on the hospital board, from three months to one year. This extension is aimed at ensuring stronger governance and better healthcare outcomes for patients at MBPH.
However, these measures have not been sufficient to solve the hospital’s challenges. One major issue is the lack of transparency and clarity around the hospital’s future development plans. Although the state government commissioned a master plan for MBPH in 2021, this important document has not been publicly released. Health Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne revealed during a parliamentary inquiry that her department has not been assigned the task of upgrading the emergency department and currently has no access to the master plan or detailed information about hospital services. This lack of coordination raises questions about how infrastructure improvements will be prioritized and funded.
Local political leaders have also voiced their concerns. Jade Benham, Member for Mildura, has called on the Victorian government to publicly release the master plan and commit to funding 30 new hospital beds. In May 2025, a concept image of a possible new hospital design was shared online by HSPC Health Architects. However, the full master plan, which would provide a clearer roadmap for the hospital’s expansion and modernization, remains unavailable. This has left the Mildura community anxious about the hospital’s ability to meet future healthcare demands.
Health department secretary Jenny Atta has stated that no formal or authorized master plan has yet been issued by the department. She explained that the document will only be released after an investment decision is made and when the most recent data can be incorporated into the plan. This cautious approach reflects the complexity of healthcare infrastructure projects but has been criticized for delaying necessary improvements.
Mildura Base Public Hospital plays a vital role as the main public hospital in the region, providing emergency care, maternity services, and inpatient treatment to thousands of patients each year. Its current struggles are not unique to regional hospitals but represent a broader issue of how healthcare systems manage growing patient numbers, aging infrastructure, and resource limitations.
As the community waits for clear government action and funding commitments, the hospital continues to operate under significant strain. Patients face long wait times in the emergency department, and staff must manage overcrowded wards with limited resources. The call for increased investment and a transparent, actionable master plan grows louder as MBPH strives to meet the healthcare needs of Mildura and its surrounding areas.
