Snags and thanks for Cumberland Hospital staff

Nurses Ash Modi and Ferial Saider with Lions Club volunteers Laurice Adney and Elspeth Steele.

More than 100 Cumberland Hospital staff enjoyed a sausage sandwich, lucky door prizes and music, courtesy of the UrbanGrowth NSW Development Corporation.

UrbanGrowth NSW and Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) were keen to thank staff across the Cumberland campus for their patience and input into planning around relocations, as part of the Parramatta North precinct.

WSLHD has been working closely with UrbanGrowth NSW on the project – in taking ownership of Cumberland Hospital (East Campus), UrbanGrowth NSW has allocated funding for the relocation of health services from the site.

Chief executive Danny O’Connor thanked the staff for their input into 26 functional briefs (documents showing models of care and how services will be delivered), which will inform planning decisions

Cashier clerk Shalini Abeysirinarayana, senior revenue officer Harinder Singh and administration officers Shabila Kumar and Anu Gopal enjoyed the BBQ.

“Representatives from 26 departments and services have met with the Cumberland planning project team – this includes initial meetings with the respective service directors,” he said.

Mr O’Connor also thanked staff for their patience during site works, including repairs to several heritage buildings.

UrbanGrowth NSW program director Christina Hobbes also spoke to the crowd, sharing news that the Parramatta North precinct had been added to the national heritage list.

“Today is an important day as the heritage core has been recognised with a national listing, which we have supported, and so we are very pleased with this recognition as it is part of our activities in working with health to regenerate the area in finding new and relevant ways to bring activation to the community,” she said.

Ms Hobbes said UrbanGrowth NSW was currently scoping out the next series of works, noting they were likely to be more intrusive, but they would work closely with the LHD to limit disruption as much as possible.

WSLHD director of strategy & development Dr Moureen Wong drew the lucky door prize, handing out gift vouchers to staffers Tim & Annette.

Dr Moureen Wong with clinical nurse consultant and lucky door prize winner Tim Poon.

A huge thanks to the Carlingford Dundas Lions Club, who cooked the BBQ, and UrbanGrowth NSW Development Corporation for their contributions.