28 June 2012

Getting On With A New Hospital For The Bega Valley

Planning is well advanced for the new $170m South East Regional Hospital, the Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner, and Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, said today.

Minister Skinner and Mr Constance visited the site of the new hospital to announce that the new facility will provide clinical capacity beyond 2021 through the provision of 152 inpatient beds plus day only beds and spaces.

"Consultation has been extensive and has involved a wide range of doctors, nurses, allied health staff, hospital volunteers, local council, the Ambulance Service, aboriginal communities and other key hospital groups," Mrs Skinner said.

"The new hospital will provide residents of the Bega Valley and surrounding areas with a fully-integrated, contemporary health facility," she said.

"The hospital will expand the range of clinical services and will be designed to meet the future needs of the region.

"The new hospital will be one of the premier health facilities in NSW," Mrs Skinner said.

Minister Skinner said, "Key benefits of the redevelopment include enhancing the range, quality and capacity of locally available services, which in turn will help to support the recruitment and retention of a skilled workforce."

Mr Constance said patients will be able to access better care, closer to home.

"The hospital will provide a level of clinical services not presently available throughout the valley," he said.

"This has long been a priority for me and I have stressed the need for this upgrade for many years on behalf of communities across south-eastern NSW."

Mr Constance said it is vital that regional areas like the Bega Valley receive access to high quality health services and he looks forward to the day the region can benefit from what will be an outstanding facility.

Major service enhancements will include:

An expanded emergency department;

Expanded intensive care service;

Additional medical and surgical beds;

A new and dedicated rehabilitation service;

Dedicated palliative care beds;

An expanded mental health service;

Expanded medical oncology unit;

Expanded renal dialysis unit;

An upgraded paediatric unit; and

Expansion of primary health care and ambulatory services.

Construction is scheduled to commence early next year, and the new facility is expected to be opened in early 2016.

The joint project between the NSW and Commonwealth Governments will be located on a 17.4 hectare site on Tathra Rd, approximately 1.5km from Bega.