$2.5m donation to help Epworth clear surgery backlog

A multi-million dollar donation to Epworth HealthCare will help Yarra City and other Victorian patients to have surgery that has been delayed as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

The latest $2.5 million donation from La Trobe Financial Charitable Foundation will fund upgrades to operating theatres and equipment.

It also will go towards expansion of Epworth's Hospital in the Home Unit - a first for a private hospital in Australia - and provide accommodation nearby in Richmond to support regional patients and their families.

Dr Lachlan Henderson, group chief executive, Epworth HealthCare, said some patients had struggled while they waited for their operations. "This money will assist us to accelerate that work," he said.