Werribee Mercy Hospital has emerged as the lowest-rated major public hospital in Australia in a new analysis of more than 61,000 Google reviews, with patients repeatedly raising concerns about waiting times, communication and emergency department experiences.
The analysis by digital marketing firm seobacklinks.com examined Google Maps ratings for 126 Australian public hospitals with at least 100 reviews and found Werribee Mercy averaged 2.19 stars from 1,233 reviews. About 66 per cent of reviewers gave the hospital one star.
Victoria also accounts for three of the four lowest-rated hospitals nationally. Northern Hospital in Epping ranked second-lowest at 2.42 stars, while Casey Hospital in Berwick was fourth at 2.46. Fairfield Hospital in New South Wales ranked third at 2.44.
The rankings were compiled from Google Maps listings collected on October 5 and matched with public hospitals reporting emergency department activity to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Exact averages were calculated from each hospital’s one-to-five-star review distribution rather than Google’s rounded display score.
Private hospitals, specialist children’s, women’s and eye hospitals, and separate emergency department listings were excluded.
The rankings do not measure clinical outcomes, patient safety or the medical quality of treatment. They reflect what patients and visitors say publicly about their overall hospital experience, including waiting times, communication, facilities and staff interactions.
That distinction is particularly important in emergency departments, where patients are treated according to clinical urgency rather than arrival time.
Even so, the complaints at Werribee Mercy reflect longstanding pressure on a hospital serving one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing areas.
One reviewer complained that people arriving at 9:30 pm were not seen until 5 am or later the following morning, while another described the waiting time as “ridiculous”.
Official data confirms the hospital is handling heavy demand. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare recorded 54,192 emergency department presentations at Werribee Mercy in 2024–25.
A 2024 Victorian Auditor-General’s Office investigation also found demand was exceeding the capacity of the hospital’s emergency department. The audit cited an internal 2023 briefing warning that growing demand was contributing to poor patient experiences and negative community perceptions.
Wyndham City has separately argued hospital infrastructure has failed to keep pace with population growth and says the municipality could require more than 1,200 additional public hospital beds by 2046.
Werribee Mercy is now undergoing a major emergency department expansion intended to relieve some of that pressure. The project will increase treatment spaces from 33 to 67, add dedicated paediatric and adult mental health areas and allow the hospital to handle another 25,000 emergency presentations each year.
The Victorian Government has allocated $95 million in the 2026–27 budget to support the opening and operation of the expanded department.
Werribee Mercy is also among 12 hospitals included in Labor’s $1.5 billion election commitment to expand emergency departments, add 250 beds and recruit 1,500 healthcare workers, including 750 nurses.
The Carroll Labor Government has separately announced a $169 million package for hospital equipment and infrastructure upgrades across Victoria.
Under the package, $87 million will go to the Medical Equipment Replacement Program for 21 health services and facilities. Projects include an MRI upgrade at Shepparton, a replacement digital X-ray system at Barwon Health’s McKellar Centre and replacement heart imaging equipment at St Vincent’s Hospital.
A further $82 million will go to 25 health services through the Engineering Infrastructure Replacement Program, funding projects including a new nurse-call system at Mercy Hospital for Women, electrical upgrades at Echuca Regional Health and upgraded air-handling systems at Mildura Base Public Hospital.
The government says the latest funding takes total investment through the two programs to more than $402 million for medical equipment and $386 million for engineering infrastructure, with more than 700 projects delivered since 2015.
Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said the upgrades were aimed at replacing ageing equipment and improving access to care.
“We’re delivering world-class care for all Victorians through dedicated funds to replace ageing medical equipment,” Ms Stitt said.
“Better equipment can mean faster care closer to home. These upgrades will make a real difference in hospitals across Victoria.”
Labor has also used the funding announcement to attack Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, arguing Liberal fiscal plans would result in $40 billion in cuts and threaten frontline services. That remains a political claim made by Labor rather than a finding of the hospital review analysis.
The Google review data suggests dissatisfaction is broader than Werribee.
Northern Hospital averaged 2.42 stars from 1,459 reviews, Casey Hospital 2.46 from 1,236, Sunshine Hospital 2.74, Dandenong Hospital 2.77, Latrobe Regional Hospital 2.83 and Monash Medical Centre 2.94.
Across the 28 Victorian hospitals included in the ranking, the average was 3.22 stars, the second-lowest among the six states.
At the other end of the table, Rosebud Hospital was Victoria’s highest-rated public hospital at 3.88 stars from 129 reviews, ranking sixth nationally. St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne followed at 3.82 stars, Sandringham Hospital at 3.77, The Alfred at 3.76, and Angliss Hospital at 3.71.
Nationally, Busselton Health Campus in Western Australia topped the ranking at 4.58 stars.
Oliver Weston, founder of seobacklinks.com, said hospital reviews often reflected highly stressful experiences, with waiting times, uncertainty and communication among the most common complaints.
He also noted that some one-star reviewers still praised individual doctors and nurses, underlining the difference between dissatisfaction with the overall hospital experience and criticism of clinical staff.
Google reviews are therefore an imperfect measure of hospital performance. People with negative experiences may be more likely to post reviews, while star ratings do not account for clinical outcomes, case complexity or medical standards.
But with more than 1,200 reviews at Werribee Mercy, the rating provides a substantial snapshot of public sentiment.
For the Victorian Government, the challenge is now whether major investments in capacity, staffing, equipment and infrastructure translate into a better experience for patients at the front door of the hospital system.
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