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Lorne Community Hospital is a public hospital incorporated under the
Victorian Health Services Act 1988 and operates under the provisions of the Act.
Objectives of the Lorne Community Hospital
• To organise and provide health care services in Lorne and in the surrounding
district, in particular hospital and community health services. Also to coordinate
services provided jointly with other agencies in accordance with the Act and all
existing or future relevant Acts and Regulations.
• To provide residential aged care accommodation and community based aged care services.
• To utilise appropriate physical and personnel resources, knowledge and technologies available to promote an optimal level of health and wellbeing and to prevent illness, disability, injury
and suffering.
• To set and achieve standards consistent with prevailing principles of quality patient care and the community's health needs.
• To foster continuous improvement in standards through education and training.
• To carry out any function incidental or ancillary to the objects in this by-law
(As per the Hospital By-Laws approved 2012).
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Quality Accreditation
Lorne Community Hospital proudly holds nationally accredited status with the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Equip 4 and with the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency.
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Community Served
The service catchment area is identified as Lorne and surrounding districts, including Aireys Inlet, Moggs Creek, Eastern View, Fairhaven , Deans Marsh and Wye River . All these communities are located within the Surf Coast Shire, except Wye River , which is part of the Colac Otway Shire.
In total there are approximately 2,500 permanent residents in these communities. In the 2006 census there were 440 families with children living permanently in Lorne and surrounding communities. Lorne-Aireys P-12 Schools draw students from surrounding towns.
Currently, 17% of the combined population of Wye River , Aireys Inlet and Lorne is over 65. This figure is expected to increase to 25% by 2031 (Population Forecast, forecast.id, Surf Coast Shire, 2008).
The more aged people residing in the community, the greater the burden from nonfatal diseases. For example, the years of life lost to disability for a 70 year old is twice that of
a 50 year old. As Lorne and surrounding areas of Wye River , Aireys Inlet and Deans Marsh have a greater percentage of older people, the disability burden, and years lost
to disability, is greater when compared with the national population.
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Seasonal Fluctuation
Lorne Community Hospital is the only Hospital on the Surf Coast , an area which extends from Torquay to Lorne including a number of small coastal towns. The population in the area swells dramatically with visitors and holiday home owners on weekends and during summer holidays, and has further increased with the ring road bypassing Geelong.
Community demand for Urgent and Acute care services increases dramatically in these peak periods.
Conferences, school camps and major events bring additional visitors to the Lorne area. The “School Leaver” weeks bring an influx of around 1,500 young people for 2-3 weeks during November/December, followed by the Falls Festival (16,500), the Pier to Pub swim and Mountain to Surf run (8,000).
The Hospital works with the Surf Coast Shire, local Ambulance and event organisers to ensure adequate first aid and a co-ordinated medical response is available during these periods.
Threat of bushfire and heat wave impact in the busy summer period is a growing risk which is considered in service planning.
Further information can be found under the Emergency Planning tile on this website.
Download: Hospital By-Laws
Strategic Project Priorities
The Lorne Community Hospital (LCH) Board and Management Team have identified the following strategic project priorities to build capacity to achieve strategic objectives and secure long term sustainability.
These projects are beyond the scope of the operational funding provided by the State and Federal governments. The Board is seeking external support to enable these projects, through direct contributions to funding, sponsor partnerships, and collaboration.
A sponsorship or partnership with Lorne Community Hospital shows a commitment to assisting us to achieve our vision “to enhance the health and wellbeing of our community by increasing the diversity and flexibility of services, and building alliances within our region”.
LCH, the only Hospital on the Surf Coast, upholds a strong reputation in the delivery of acute, people focused health & aged care, promotion of wellness and illness prevention to community.
LCH is passionate about relationship building with business, community and organizations to further promote the wellness model.
It is through fostering these relationships LCH can broaden it's portfolio of services offered to community and further train staff to deliver a higher level of care.
LCH places strong emphasis on the practice of good governance, risk management and implementation of OH & S strategies. It has strong partnerships and credibility in the local communities of Lorne and surrounds.
The projects are all considered equally important and are prioritized by timelines in this list.
Approved by the Board of Management, August 2010
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PROJECT – Accommodation Flat Building Project
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Problem: Presently Lorne Community Hospital has difficulty providing affordable and functional accommodation in Lorne for on call medical and nursing staff, weekend and holiday locums, and extra staff required to meet peak demand or provide specialised skills. Workforce shortages in rural health services are a significant concern in the future and the marketplace is competitive in what it offers visiting staff.
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Solution: Extensively upgrade the existing Matron's flat on the Hospital site (built 1960's) so it is modern, attractive, provides cooking/ washing facilities and flexible accommodation options.
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Community Benefit: Significantly increase the likelihood of continued access to medical and nursing services 24/7 that support provision of a quality acute and urgent care service to the local communities and visitors.
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Proposed Timeline: 2011 – 2012 (fundraising feasibility, design stage, town planning permit completed).
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Estimated Cost: $500,000
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PROJECT – Impact of Leadership on Organisation Climate
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Problem: Stabilisation of the executive staff and organisation leadership is a critical success factor in achieving sustainability of the Lorne Community Hospital. For a period of 12 years to 2006 the Hospital experienced a high turnover of executive staff (Director of Nursing and Chief Executive Officer), with an average term of 18 months and 16 different people in the roles. This lack of leadership continuity inevitably results in a less than optimal organisation climate that places the organisation at risk of low staff motivation and wellbeing, and declining organisational performance. A more stable situation now exist, however the Board have no valid means of monitoring the impact of leadership and performance through times of change.
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Solution: To establish periodic measurement to ensure effective leadership, teamwork, and optimal performance is being achieved. The measurement will indicate the climate of the organisation, and guide targeted and intentional improvement.
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Community Benefit: A strong and sustainable organisation will be built and maintained, that ensures staff are motivated, supported, and provided with effective leadership to achieve optimal service outcomes for the community.
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Proposed Timeline: Commence 2010-2012, with an ongoing commitment for at least 3 years, at which point it would be re-evaluated.
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Estimated Cost: $12,000 - $15,000 p.a.
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PROJECT – Workforce Capacity Building
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Problem: Lorne Community Hospital must invest in strategic workforce development . Workforce skill requirements change over time, and in rural areas the workforce turnover is low due to limited employment options for local residents. Through the Hospital's operating budget the staff are supported to maintain a mandatory level of skill and competence relevant to their current roles, with the majority dedicated to clinical and safety. Any education beyond this is usually undertaken by staff in their own time at their own cost, which is a disincentive, particularly in an ageing workforce. Recruiting the additional skills is increasingly difficult due to generalised workforce shortages, building our existing workforce and attracting younger people (who will seek access to further education) is a priority.
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Solution: To establish a staff scholarship program by building a base of invested capital from which interest can be drawn to fund ongoing staff education scholarships, of say $10,000-20,000 p.a.
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Community Benefit: A scholarship fund will improve the learning opportunities available to staff of the Lorne Community Hospital by offering staff financial support to encourage participation in higher levels of study that are relevant to the operation of the health service in the future. Scholarships would be available for those working towards advanced levels of education (Diploma/Degree).
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Proposed Timeline: 2010-2015 (Build up a fund over 5 years)
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Estimated Cost: $250,000
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Also see:
2011 Annual Report
2010 Annual Report
2009 Annual Report
2008 Annual Report
2007 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report
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