The Hunter Valley community is celebrating first-class health care close to home, with the official opening of the NSW Government's $470 million new Maitland Hospital.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard, joined by Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin, today marked the milestone for the new hospital, which has seen significantly enhanced and expanded health services.
"The NSW Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in our State has access to the very best healthcare possible closer to home," Mr Hazzard said.
"This incredible facility delivers a range of new and expanded services and has substantial capacity to expand in the future, ensuring the health needs of the community continue to be met."
Minister for Regional Health and Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said today's official opening marks an historic milestone for the community.
"The NSW Government's $470 million investment is delivering the latest treatment and diagnostic services, including some that weren't previously available," Mrs Taylor said.
"This hospital sets a new standard for healthcare in the region, featuring more beds and treatment spaces, increased maternity services and a sensory room for mental health patients - a first of its kind in NSW."
Mr Martin said cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and immune therapies, are available locally for the first time with a dedicated 12-chair oncology treatment centre so patients no longer need to travel to Muswellbrook or Newcastle.
"Projects like this also boost economic growth, with almost 5,000 new jobs created as part of the hospital development, including work for 58 previously unemployed locals through the Maitland Connectivity Centre," Mr Martin said.
The new Maitland Hospital includes:
- Capacity to offer up to 80% increase in beds (additional 150) and more treatment spaces
- New 12-chair oncology treatment centre
- New 'hot floor' dedicated to critical care, combining theatres, intensive care, close observation unit, birthing, neonatal special care nursery and a cardiac catheterisation lab
- New maternity and birthing space, including six individual birthing rooms, each with a birthing bath (additional five baths)
- 12-bed paediatric unit with an additional four beds for day surgery, testing and observation
- A sensory room for mental health patients
- Two dedicated endoscopy procedure rooms
- New rooftop helipad to facilitate faster transfers for critical patients
Mr Hazzard said despite the extraordinary impact of a one-in-100 year pandemic, the new Maitland Hospital was delivered on time and on budget.
"The challenges of COVID-19 have not just been limited to our frontline health workers but to workers ensuring the planned pipeline of $10.8 billion worth of health infrastructure projects continues uninterrupted through to 2024-25."
"The Hunter should be enormously proud of those tradespeople who worked shoulder to shoulder with developers and the Government through COVID to deliver this magnificent hospital on time and on budget for patients, staff and the local community."
Since 2011, the government has delivered more than 170 hospitals and health facilities across NSW, with more than 110 currently underway - of those, more than 70 are in rural and regional areas.
