Health Minister Jillian Skinner has hailed another exciting milestone in the journey towards a world-class hospital for Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Three proven hospital operators have been chosen to progress to the Request for Proposals phase of the project to design, construct, operate and maintain the Northern Beaches Hospital at Frenchs Forest. They are:
- Adventist HealthCare Ltd (Sydney Adventist Hospital)
- Healthscope
- Ramsay Health Care
“All three of these operators are highly successful healthcare providers. Whichever is successful in this next phase will enter into a long term contract with the NSW Government to deliver services to both public and private patients,” Mrs Skinner said.
“Residents of the Northern Beaches have waited a long time for a new hospital and today is an exciting step on the journey towards realising that dream,” she said.
The 423-bed Northern Beaches Hospital will utilise leading digital technologies to deliver the highest quality surgical, medical, paediatric, obstetric and inpatient mental health services, as well as a large, modern emergency department.
Acute services will be relocated from Mona Vale Hospital and Manly Hospital. Mona Vale Hospital will be redeveloped to provide complementary health services, including an Urgent Care Centre, sub-acute care and palliative care. Manly Hospital will close when the Northern Beaches Hospital opens.
“Public patients will continue to access services as they do now but, instead of travelling out of the Northern Beaches to other hospitals for higher order health care, they will be treated closer to home,” Mrs Skinner said.
“Private patients will also benefit as they will no longer need to travel across Sydney for private care - it will be available, for the first time, right on their door step,” she said.
Member for Manly Mike Baird said the Northern Beaches Hospital is the first major investment in public health infrastructure on the Northern Beaches for decades.
“This hospital is the realisation of a long-held ambition for the Northern Beaches community. Partnering with a private or not-for-profit hospital operator will allow the hospital to be built faster, delivering better value for the taxpayers of NSW,” Mr Baird said.
Member for Wakehurst Brad Hazzard said: “I am very proud the NSW Government is delivering this state-of-the-art hospital to serve the Northern Beaches community, which is both growing and ageing.”
Member for Pittwater Rob Stokes said: “Mona Vale Hospital will be redeveloped and will continue to play a vital role in providing the highest quality care to the people of the Northern Beaches.”
Member for Davidson Jonathan O’Dea said today’s announcement was more good news for the people of the Northern Beaches.
“This world-class, centrally-located hospital will provide much greater capacity and greater complexity of services for our community, now and into the future,” Mr O’Dea said.
The Northern Beaches Hospital will be built on a 6.5 hectare site bounded by Frenchs Forest Road West (north), Warringah Road (south), Wakehurst Parkway (east) and the Forest High School (west). It is due for completion in 2018.
A reference group involving local councils, NSW Health, Roads and Maritime Services, Transport NSW and the Department of Planning and Infrastructure has been established to resolve traffic and transport issues surrounding the site.
A Request for Proposal document will be released to the three shortlisted hospital operators later this year, with the selection of the preferred operator expected by the end of 2014.
For further information on the Northern Beaches Hospital go to www.NBHSredev.health.nsw.gov.au
