Jillian Skinner/Geoff Lee/Tony Issa med rel: Historic day as excavator strikes first blow on Westmead Hospital redevelopment

Health Minister Jillian Skinner today gave the signal for an excavator to commence demolition of an old building at Westmead Hospital – the official start of one of the largest hospital redevelopments ever undertaken in NSW.

Mrs Skinner was joined on-site by local MPs Geoff Lee (Parramatta) and Tony Issa (Granville) as well as Liberal candidate for Seven Hills Mark Taylor to witness the start of early works with the demise of the old administration building.

It will make way for a state-of-the-art acute services building – one of many new facilities which will form part of the massive redevelopment project.

“This is an historic day for Western Sydney,” Mrs Skinner said.

“Westmead Hospital is an iconic but ageing hospital which must be transformed to meet the needs of this rapidly-growing region.

“In June, I stood on this site with the Treasurer to announce Stage 1 of the redevelopment – a project worth in excess of $400 million. Today I am delighted to return to see the excavator get to work.”

Mrs Skinner said the redevelopment of the Westmead campus will cost well over $1 billion when complete.

More than 1000 clinicians, other staff and community members have been consulted about the Westmead Hospital redevelopment.

The concept plan for the redevelopment will be finalised in mid-2015 and the project team will continue to consult with hospital and precinct stakeholders.

Stage 1 of the Westmead Hospital redevelopment will deliver:
· A new acute services building with emergency department;
· Up to 14 operating theatres;
· Additional intensive care beds and more inpatient beds;
· Extra ambulatory care services;
· State-of-the-art pathology services;
· Comprehensive care centres with co-located complex and critical care services including trauma and surgery;
· Additional car parking.

“The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is delivering on its promise to rebuild infrastructure across our state – and that commitment is powerfully demonstrated here in Western Sydney, at one of the most iconic hospitals in the state,” Mrs Skinner said.

Westmead Hospital is a specialised tertiary referral hospital for the Western Sydney metropolitan area.

It is the major teaching hospital of The University of Sydney and one of Australia’s largest centres for postgraduate specialist training in all fields.

It includes the largest dental clinical school in NSW and is home to internationally recognised institutes of health research, including the Westmead Millennium Institute.