Dandenong Hospital Redevelopment and Billing Updates Set Service Timelines

The government has announced a $305 million redevelopment of Dandenong Hospital that will deliver nine new operating theatres, a new Intensive Care Unit with 16 beds and upgraded day surgery admissions. Monash Health has also put forward a proposal to change Dandenong Hospital maternity services from level three to level two, which would move high-risk pregnancies and newborns to other sites. These announcements sit alongside earlier changes to billing and mental health services that already affect daily access for local residents.

Service start and end dates

Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals began operating in Dandenong in December 2023 under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act. From 1 November 2025 the Dandenong Medical Centre began bulk billing every Medicare-eligible patient for all consultations. The Multicultural Access Program, which supports health access for culturally diverse communities including refugees and asylum seekers, remains funded only until 30 June 2026. No start date has been given for construction on the hospital redevelopment or for any decision on the maternity proposal.

These dates determine when residents experience changes in costs, available beds or referral pathways. The bulk-billing policy took effect last year, so patients at the Dandenong Medical Centre already see the new arrangement at every visit. The mental health service has been available for more than two years. The multicultural program will reach its funding limit in less than a year, after which residents who rely on it may need to find other support.

What the figures show for local access

The $305 million redevelopment figure covers the addition of nine operating theatres and a 16-bed intensive care unit at Dandenong Hospital. The maternity downgrade proposal has drawn opposition from Greater Dandenong councillors, yet no timeline for implementation or further consultation has been released. Residents seeking maternity care therefore continue under current arrangements until any change is confirmed.

Next steps depend on government decisions still to be made. Construction timelines for the operating theatres and intensive care unit remain unspecified, as does any final ruling on the maternity level change. Residents can track updates through the listed public sources for any new dates on when the additional theatres or beds will open or when the multicultural program funding concludes.