Centre makes a better west

Mount Druitt Hospital’s Community Dialysis Centre has won a Greater Western Sydney Project of the Year Award (health category) for delivering services closer to home for the local community.

The awards are part of the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue’s BOOMTOWN! 2018 Property and Infrastructure summit and recognise the centre’s contribution to a more productive, liveable and cohesive Greater Western Sydney.

“The Mount Druitt Hospital Community Dialysis Centre is a critical piece of infrastructure that will make it easier for patients to access life-saving treatment closer to home,” said Chris Horton, Health Infrastructure Project Director.

“The $3.5 million centre – opened in March 2018 – is a significant investment in the health of the local community and the wider Western Sydney catchment.”

Alongside delivering critical care, the centre has provided important opportunities for local employment, and the creation of a space that is connected to the community, its environment and culture through an arts and cultural program.

“The project team included staff, patients, carers and the community in our planning and design – a unique approach to engagement that has meant this is truly a facility for the community,” Mr Horton said. 

Mount Druitt Hospital General Manager Sue-Anne Redmond said communities in NSW face a number of health challenges due to the ageing population.

“The number of people requiring renal dialysis is rising by 4 per cent each year, and the risk is considerably higher in the region’s large Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” Ms Redmond said.

“Providing a welcoming, easily-accessible centre close to home reduces the need for patients to travel out of the area for treatment, and helps improve quality of life for patients and the families,” she said. 

The Mount Druitt Hospital Community Dialysis Centre project includes an adjacent Healing Garden for respite and relaxation, designed with local Aboriginal Elders and artists. 

The centre is part of the NSW Government’s $700 million Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals Expansion Project.

For more information, visit www.bmdhproject.health.nsw.gov.au