Rooftop milestone for our new Westmead Hospital building
Premier Gladys Berejiklian joined Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Health and Medical Research Brad Hazzard today visited Westmead to mark a major milestone for the hospital’s Central Acute Services Building.
A tree topping ceremony celebrated the building reaching its topmost level of construction.
The new Westmead building, a collaboration between Westmead Hospital, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the University of Sydney, will transform healthcare in western Sydney and provide a base for ground-breaking health research to benefit every Australian.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said New South Wales deserves the best health care.
“The $1 billion Westmead Redevelopment ensures the fastest growing part of Sydney gets the very best services,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We’ll make sure we have the best health professionals possible working here.
“Thank you to all the doctors, nurses, midwives, all the allied health professionals and everyone else who is making this possible.”
Mr Perrottet said the building, due for completion in 2020, was an investment in the future health of the people of NSW.
“The $1 billion-plus Westmead precinct redevelopment provides NSW with a cutting-edge health, innovation and education precinct,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This government has a strong track record when it comes to delivering new and upgraded hospitals and health facilities, and this year’s budget is no exception.”
Key features of the new building include:
- Two new emergency departments – one for adults and one for children
- Digital operating theatres
- Expanded imaging, pharmacy and logistics
- Additional patient rooms, and
- Education, training and research embedded into every floor.
Mr Hazzard said the record investment in health infrastructure mirrors the never-before-seen funding in services and the frontline health workforce, with 8,300 additional frontline staff over the next four years.
“Whether you’re in the Tweed or in Tumut, Westmead or Wyong, Macksville or Mona Vale, all across NSW, direct and indirect jobs are being created through health builds,” Mr Hazzard said.
“We are future-proofing the health system to ensure no matter where you live in this vast State, you and your loved ones have access to care and support close to home.”
The record $2.7 billion health infrastructure investment in 2019-20 will enable the following works:
- Commencement of new works John Hunter Hospital ($780 million), the Children’s Hospital at Westmead ($619 million) and Tumut Hospital ($50 million)
- Continuing works at Griffith Hospital, Goulburn Hospital, Hornsby Hospital and Mona Vale Hospital
- New hospital car parks at Liverpool, Shellharbour and Wagga Wagga
- Planning for major projects including Sutherland Hospital, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network at Randwick and the Comprehensive Children’s Cancer Centre, and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Other highlights of the health capital works investment for 2019-20 includes continuing work on the Nepean Hospital and Integrated Ambulatory Services redevelopment, the Randwick campus reconfiguration and expansion, the Concord Hospital upgrade and the Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment.
