The Victorian Government has announced that it will be investing $349.6 million into mental health services with an upgrade to the Thomas Embling Hospital.

The funding is a part of the budget which will be announced on Thursday. It will help deliver an upgrade to the hospital located in Fairfield.

A statement released on Monday morning says the upgrade will help deliver an additional 82 beds with a new 34-bed precinct for women, a 48-bed medium-security men’s facility, and clinical administration facilities at the Hospital.

The upgrades come from a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System which was tabled in parliament earlier this year on March 2.

Acting Premier and Minister for Mental Health James Merlino said the funding will help target critical care and support Victorians onto their path for recovery.

“We know from the Royal Commission that our mental health system isn’t coping. We are building a system from the ground up – including providing specialist forensic treatment,” Merlino said.

The project will also aim to reduce wait times for mental health assessment and treatment, reduce incidents of mental health deterioration and increase access for female patients.

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System gave 65 recommendations in the final report and nine recommendations in the interim report.

The new funding is hoped to implement some of these recommendations which include improving the quality and safety of mental health and wellbeing services and responding to a mental health crisis.

Photo: Mental Health Matters by Matthew Ball available HERE and used under a Creative Commons Attribution. This image has not been modified.