Victorian budget saves 100 hospital beds

An extra 101 hospital beds and points of care will re-open across Victoria's hospital system as a result of a $200 million "rescue fund" in the 2015-16 state budget.

This will allow a further 20,000 patients to be treated per year, while a $60 million budget allocation will allow an extra 11,700 surgeries to be performed.

There is $560 million of capital works funded over four years, including a new $200 million Western Women's and Children's Hospital and major expansions of the Casey ($106 million) and Werribee Mercy ($85 million) hospitals.

Work can begin on building Australia's first specialist heart hospital thanks to a $15 million contribution, there's $3.8 million to put a helipad on the roof at Monash Childrens Hospital and $2 million to establish a national centre for Proton Beam therapy in the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

Labor says its extra funding for capital works, improving ambulances services and health programs, totals $1.38 billion over four years.

The rescue fund was among key recommendations of a comprehensive health system review by former AMA Victoria president Doug Travis, released in April.

"Dr Travis's interim report revealed the immense size of the challenge we face to fix Victoria's health system," Health Minister Jill Hennessy said.