Plans unveiled for new $23 million Tuggerah Lakes Private Hospital

MORE than a hundred jobs will be created after plans were unveiled this week for a new $23 million private hospital in Kanwal.

An artist's impression of the new $23m Tuggerah Lakes Private Hospital.

MORE than a hundred jobs will be created after plans were unveiled this week for a new $23 million private hospital in Kanwal.

Healthe Care Australia, which runs Gosford Private and Brisbane Waters Private, has lodged a development application with Central Coast Council to build a brand new “boutique” hospital — Tuggerah Lakes Private.

Located opposite Wyong Public Hospital, on the corner of the Pacific Highway and Craigie Ave, the company says it will create 50 hospital jobs and include four operating theatres, 20 inpatient overnight beds, 14 recovery bays, six recovery chairs, and consulting spaces­.

The new Tuggerah Lakes Private Hospital is expected to open in mid-2018.

It comes a week after Healthe Care Australia missed out in the private tender process for Wyong Hospital, which will remain in public hands ahead of a $200 million redevelopment later this year.

“Now that decision has been made by the State Government, it gives us greater strategic focus,” Healthe Care’s Central Coast regional manager Matt Kelly said.

“Our new hospital will be perfect for doctors to do both public and private consulting, and if there are no delays with the DA approvals process, we’ll be ready to start building tomorrow.

“We’ll be using a local construction company and anticipate the building will create 60 trade positions over the next 12 months before we hopefully see our first patients in mid-2018.”

Mr Kelly said the facility would cater for day surgery and short-stay patients for multiple specialties including orthopedics, gastroenterology, plastics, urology, general surgery and vascular­.

Wyong MP David Harris said the proposed hospital was a “vote of confidence” for the fast-growing region’s north.

'Win for the community': Central Coast Opposition spokesman David Harris is embraced by a health worker last week after leading a successful campaign to keep Wyong Hospital in public hands.

“This is significant investment, and I welcome the high-quality jobs and associated employment and investment this proposed development will bring to Wyong,” Mr Harris told the Express Advocate.

“This development will hopefully give confidence to other companies to invest in the Warnervale/Wyong growth area and provide much-needed jobs and infrastructure­.”