[1] The construction of the hospital came as a result of 32 years of lobbying by the community surrounding the area, with a successful fundraiser to purchase the site occurring in 1921.

Throughout the 1990s, the hospital went through a period of expansion with new facilities such as a new emergency department and Community Drug and Alcohol Services unit.

This includes an emergency department, an intensive care unit, a cardiac care unit, general medicine, surgery, cancer services, adult specialist clinics (outpatients).

[4] Footscray Hospital has been described as 'run down' or 'past its use-by date' in local media and community.

[5][6] As a result, the Victorian state government announced in its 2017 budget that a new Footscray Hospital will be constructed adjacent to Victoria University, Melbourne which will see more modern facilities and reduce waiting times on the current network.