Southwest Sydney health district receives more than 100 new doctors, paramedics
More than 100 new junior doctors and paramedics will join one of Sydney’s busiest hospital networks and fastest growing regions. Here’s the latest.
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Southwest Sydney has welcomed 128 new junior doctors and 10 paramedics in a boost to local healthcare services in one of the state’s busiest regions.
South Western Sydney Local Health District’s new recruits will play a vital role in delivering care across the rapidly growing population, including at the newly redeveloped Campbelltown Hospital following its $632m stage 2 upgrade last year.
The hospital upgrade included a 12-storey clinical services building with cutting-edge research facilities and refurbishments across the hospital campus.
The expansion also included more beds for the emergency department and maternity ward as well as a new intensive care unit and children’s unit.
The upgrade has attracted a fresh wave of talent, with hopes the increased resourcing and capacity will reduce the hospital’s average emergency wait time of just under five hours.
Among the new interns is Dr William Du, who has worked as a physiotherapist in southwest Sydney for five years.
“I want to give back to the community that has shaped my values and address the more complex health needs that are associated with our diverse communities,” he said.
Dr Du said he was joining Campbelltown Hospital to continue his medical career in the region.
General manager of Camden and Campbelltown hospitals Grant Isedale said the new doctors were starting their career with access to the newest and “best equipment”.
“Our interns are trained using the best equipment, but the teachers, mentors and doctors around them are some of the best clinicians in Australia who will pass down a wealth of knowledge,” Mr Isedale said.
The new doctors will receive two-year contracts to rotate between a range of hospitals from metropolitan to remote areas, and will train across a range of specialties including surgery and emergency medicine.
The health district manages some of the busiest hospitals in the state, and faces some of the greatest challenges in providing accessible and affordable healthcare due to the region’s pockets of socio-economic disadvantage.
Campbelltown Hospital reported the highest number of patients coming through the emergency department with 91,082 patients in 2023-2024, followed closely by Liverpool Hospital coming in second with 89,614 patients.
A health district report identified 64 per cent of the region’s population living in low socio-economic conditions, with Fairfield and Canterbury-Bankstown LGAs being the most severely disadvantaged.
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics also ranked five southwest Sydney suburbs among the most disadvantaged in NSW with Miller (5th), Airds (6th), Cartwright (8th), Claymore (10th) and Sadleir (14th).
New paramedics join this year
New paramedics are also set to bolster the region’s frontline responders with 10 paramedics joining the South West Sydney ambulance zone, as part of a larger intake of 91 student paramedics inducted by NSW Ambulance this year.
Coming out of a 12-week training program, the student paramedics will begin their on-road training in southwest Sydney while also completing their degree.
Campbelltown MP Greg Warren, said it was “fantastic” to see so many healthcare professionals getting their start in the Campbelltown area, “many of whom live locally and know this community”.
NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park also praised the new recruits and welcomed them to the state’s health system.
“I wish them the very best as they start on what will be an incredibly rewarding career in the NSW public health system,” Mr Park said.
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