Terrey Hills private hospital: Work on track for opening of $98m, 84-bed acute care facility
Work on a new $98m, 84-bed ‘acute care’ private hospital on the northern beaches is on track, with a completion date revealed. See what it means for your healthcare.
Manly
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A $98 million hospital and rehabilitation centre being built on the northern beaches is on track for a mid-2024 opening.
Developers of the 84-bed Wyvern Private Hospital, on a four hectare site at Terrey Hills, are celebrating a construction milestone – the completion of the facility’s three main buildings.
At a special ceremony at the Myoora Rd site on Thursday, management confirmed that the final phase, the interior fit-out and installation of medical equipment, had begun.
The hospital site, which was given planning permission seven years ago, is owned by Australian Unity. In February last year Wyvern Health signed a 30-year lease and major works agreement with Australian Unity’s Healthcare Property Trust to develop and operate the hospital.
It will have medical and surgical services including seven operating theatres, a cardiac catheterisation lab; 56 surgical inpatient beds; 20 rehab beds and: eight beds in its intensive care unit.
There will be “clinical support units” including radiology — equipped with CT, MRI, X-ray and ultrasound imaging — pathology; a pharmacy; a 148-space car park and 15 consulting suites.
A hydrotherapy pool and a gym for physiotherapy and rehabilitation are being fitted out along with a cafe.
Wyvern has said it would be an “acute care” hospital that would focus on spinal surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, vascular surgery, interventional cardiology, pain management and ophthalmology.
Its chair and founder, neurosurgeon Bill Sears, said on Thursday that it was critical that people in northern Sydney, many of whom were ageing, had access to what he described as world-class private medical and surgical facilities and healthcare services.
“What we are hoping to do is build a hospital where people know, when they go there, that they'll be looked after by people who care,” Dr Sears said.
“They’ll be in a facility where those who are caring for them have got what they need to care for them properly.
“We want a place where there is a culture of caring and a culture where people enjoy working.”
There will be about 150 staff at the hospital when it opens including about 22 doctors and 69 nurses.
There were initial local concerns that the development, which is next door to the German International School and close to the Terrey Hills Swim School and Miramare Gardens convention centre, would cause traffic and street parking problems.
But Your Northern Beaches independent member of Northern Beaches Council, Sarah Grattan, who was at the ceremony, said she hadn’t received any complaints in her email inbox.
Locals were also worried the facility would have a negative impact on sensitive flora and fauna included a portion of protected Duffys Forest and a population of eastern pygmy possums.
Wyvern has fenced off 35 per cent of the site — including a coastal upland swamp — to be protected as a natural “stewardship” site in “perpetuity”.
Cr Grattan said the hospital would give the local economy a boost as well as provide jobs for young people and professionals.
General Manager Healthcare Property at Australian Unity, Chris Smith, said the hospital would meet the community’s current and future health needs.
“After a year of very strong construction progress from the builder, Hacer and the project team, it’s pleasing to see Wyvern Private Hospital enter the final phase of construction on schedule and on budget, placing us well on track to opening next year.”
Sophie Scamps, a medical doctor and the federal independent MP for Mackellar, said it was important to have facilities close to where patients lived.
“We are very thankful for what you are doing in our backyard,” Dr Scamps said.
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