Griffith Base Hospital’s redevelopment is moving and shaking, with the full scope of stage one recently outlined at a breakfast meeting with key stakeholders.
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The majority of the redevelopment’s first stage will see the consolidation of several key outpatient or ambulatory care services into one hub.
The build also sees an extension in services, with the number of chemotherapy chairs doubling from more than four to ten.
NSW Health Infrastructure’s Amanda Bock says this temporary hub will provide medical oncology, rehabilitation and other outpatient clinics in a central location.
“An ambulatory care hub will join together a bunch of services which are currently spread across the campus – and in the redevelopment zone – into a single build,” she said.
“Once there is future stages, subject to funding, those services will move back into a new hospital.”
Additionally, extensions on the services block and the inpatient unit will free up space internally. The inpatient unit will also receive new bathrooms and an inpatient gym, among other things.
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MLHD Director of Operations Brett Thompson said they had worked to identify and address some areas of concern with new bathrooms.
“It’s an add-on to the existing ward. It will give capacity for improved bathrooms and the like. At the moment, they’re shared bathrooms,” he said.
“That was one of the areas of quite a lot of feedback.”
Ms Bock pointed to expansion in facilities as a priority, as well as the movement of certain services to make way for later construction.
“The key thing is the $35 million is doing this (building temporary units) but also expanding services,” Ms Bock said.
“It’s increased capacity in oncology and clinical services.”
Building and renovations for the new projects are expected to kick off around March next year.
Member for Murray Austin Evans was among those informed of the plans at the recent breakfast meeting.
“The meeting was good .. I think it was constructive. We’ll got some bits out of the expected footprint of the big build, including more details about ambulatory hub.”
While there was some concern about future funding, Mr Evans said he had a “direct promise” that once plans had been finalised, funding would be allocated.
“MLHD and health infrastructure will work together to finalise the final numbers. As soon as that’ll happen, we’ll fund it,” he said.
“That’s a direct promise from Deputy Premier John Barilaro.”
More on this topic in coming days.