The creation of Grampians Health – a case study focusing on lessons learned from a health service merger

Abstract

This case study of the merger of four hospitals in western Victoria reports on the views of participants affected by the merger – as staff or from the communities – about 2 years after the merger. Respondents reported that many of the sought-after benefits of the merger were being delivered. However, the merger process itself attracted criticism, and it is here that this merger can provide lessons for others. Although there was a long lead time of consultation prior to the formal decision to merge, there was very little time to plan the next steps of implementation – there were only days between the decision and the merger taking effect. Future mergers should manage that differently. There is also a lot of literature on mergers which might provide a check list to enhance the likelihood of success in future mergers.