NEARLY six months on from its official opening, staff at the new Peninsula University Hospital building say that its design is improving patient care.
The redevelopment, designed by Bates Smart in partnership with Architectus, has added 130 beds and 15 operating theatres to the formerly-named Frankston Hospital. The redevelopment also included expanded mental health and oncology services, a new helipad, and enhanced women’s and children’s care. The facility has the capacity to treat approximately 35,000 more patients each year.
Chantelle Pollard, nurse unit manager of the Chemotherapy Day Unit, has worked at Peninsula Health for eight years and experienced firsthand what the old building asked of staff.
“Our old unit was very small. The chairs were very close together and the patients didn’t have much privacy at all. We were trying to fit patients, sometimes relatives and staff and trolleys and equipment – it was just a very stressful environment,” said Pollard. “We’re no longer tripping over each other. We’ve got room to do our jobs properly, and I’ve even seen a reduction in people wanting to take leave because people feel so much more positive about being here.”
Previously located in a building separate from the main hospital, the unit is now fully integrated into level eight alongside all oncology and cancer services, meaning patients can move from a review appointment directly to treatment without navigating between buildings. “Previously we would have to take them via wheelchair, and it could be cold or wet, and was really quite an ordeal for them when they’re already unwell. That seamless integration of having all the oncology services on the one floor has been incredible,” said Pollard.
One of the most visible changes is the winter garden adjoining the nurse’s station – a sheltered outdoor space with bay views that allows chemotherapy patients to step outside during treatment for the first time. The unit also now features a wellness centre – a first for the hospital – where programs such as Look Good Feel Better can be offered on-site. The initiative runs monthly workshops for cancer patients covering makeup, wigs and scarves, supporting them to maintain their sense of identity through treatment.
The building’s design drew on consultation with the Bunurong Land Council Corporation and First Nations architect Jefa Greenaway.
First published in the Mornington News – 9 June 2026
