In this week’s state budget for New South Wales, funding of $740m was announced for the redevelopment of Liverpool Hospital, 32 kilometres south-west of Sydney CBD, to meet growing demand. The funding will allow for development of an integrated cancer centre, inpatient ambulatory services, and diagnostic and outpatient services.
With a planned completion date of 2026, the development is expected to double the number of jobs in the health and education sectors in the area.
The Liverpool Health, Education, Research and Innovation Precinct Committee last year commissioned a report which recommended that Liverpool be developed as a centre of excellence. It is envisaged that the development will rival the greatest medical institutions in the world as a place of clinical and research excellence. Three universities with campuses in the area have representatives on the committee. Private hospital entities are also interested in the proposal with the aim that clinicians can move between easily between the public health system and private health in order to offer patients more choice.
Liverpool Public Hospital is currently Australia’s largest standalone hospital. The population of south-west Sydney has significantly higher proportions of complex medical conditions, linked to a lower socioeconomic background. It is predicted that the area will increase 40 percent by 2031, double the rate of population growth in NSW.
Overall $8 billion has been allocated to build, upgrade or refurbish 40 NSW hospitals. There will also be $2 billion for an additional 950 nurses including 100 midwives, 300 doctors, over 100 allied health staff, plus 750 additional paramedics and ambulance call centre staff over the next four years.
Melbourne’s Health Hub
La Trobe University in Melbourne this week launched an Expression of Interest process to find a partner to develop and operate its planned health and wellbeing hub. The health hub is envisaged to include a private hospital, primary health care clinic, 240-place aged care centre, and a child care centre on University-owned land at Bundoora, 16 kilometres north of Melbourne CBD. The proposed site already contains a medical centre and 39-bed hospital which will be redeveloped to become the primary healthcare clinic.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2019. With the $400 million development, La Trobe University hopes to address the current undersupply of hospital beds and allied health service providers which is set to increase due to strong population growth in the area.
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