Nepean Hospital upgrade: Stage Two of $550m rebuild to start by 2019, NSW Government says
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The State Government has assured doctors the next stage of a $550 million upgrade to Nepean Hospital in Sydney's west will begin within two years.
In November, then-premier Mike Baird announced the renovations in response to staff complaints about resourcing shortfalls at the hospital.
Senior clinicians said the funds were welcome, but nowhere near enough, arguing they would need twice or even four times that amount to cope with soaring patient demands.
The state's new Health Minister, Brad Hazzard, said he understood their concerns.
"I had the pleasure of sitting down with clinicians last week for about two hours and we had a really good chat about what they expect and want for their community," he said.
"They just want to know what's going to happen in terms of Stage Two, so I'm looking to provide that security and trust factor about making sure that Stage Two will come."
Plans for Hornsby Hospital also unveiled
The Minister said money for Stage Two of the Nepean Hospital upgrade would be announced within this term of government, meaning in the next two years.
Mr Hazzard was visiting Hornsby-Kuringai Hospital to unveil the design plans for a $200 million upgrade there.
"Here is obviously an example that we do Stage One, and we [then] do Stage Two — that's what we're on about," he said.
The upgrade at Hornsby-Kuringai Hospital will mean a new intensive care unit and integrated health services.
Mark Telford has been a nurse at the hospital for 17 years.
"I've lived in Hornsby for 30-odd years and I was around when they were talking about closing this hospital," he said.
"I remember going to the rallies to keep this place open, so today's news is a great coup for us."
Topics: health, government-and-politics, state-parliament, parliament, hornsby-2077, nsw, sydney-2000
