Terrey Hills private hospital: Work set to start on acute care facility

Work on a new ‘acute care’ hospital on the northern beaches is set to start — six years after it was given the go-ahead.

Construction is set to start on an $88 million hospital and rehabilitation centre on the northern beaches — that was given the go-ahead by planning authorities six years ago.

The 84-bed Wyvern Private Hospital at Terrey Hills, on a 4ha site between Myoora and Larool roads, will take about 22 months to build.

An artist's impression of the $88 million Wyvern Private Hospital to be built at Terrey Hills. About a third of the 4ha property will be left in its natural state to protect sensitive flora and fauna. Picture: ADP Consulting

When completed, the three-storey facility, which was given approval by the NSW Government’s State Planning Panel (North) in July 2018, will include 56 surgical beds, eight beds in its intensive care unit and 20 rehab beds.

As well as seven operating theatres and a cardiac catheterisation laboratory, its radiology department will be equipped with CT, MRI, X-Ray and ultrasound imaging. There will also be a hydrotherapy pool and a gym for physiotherapy and rehabilitation; a cafe; a pharmacy and; its own pathology department.

An artist's impression of the Wyvern Private Hospital that will have seven operating theatres for complex surgery. Picture: ADP Consulting

Wyvern Health CEO Ian Campbell said on Tuesday it was an “acute care” hospital that would focus on spinal surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, vascular surgery, interventional cardiology, pain management and ophthalmology.

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.

An artist's impression of the Wyvern Private Hospital. Picture: ADP Consulting

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 promised to fence off 35 per cent of the site to be protected as a natural “stewardship” site in “perpetuity” that can only be accessed qualified arborists, ecologists and bush regeneration workers.

An artist's impression of the Wyvern Private Hospital. Its owners expect strong demand for its services from the northern beaches community. Picture: ADP Consulting

There will be about 100 staff at the facility including 22 doctors and 69 nurses.

Wyvern Health Pty Ltd last month signed a 30-year lease and major works agreement with Australian Unity, which owns the land, to develop and operate the hospital.

Mr Campbell, who last week attended a meeting of the Terrey Hills Progress Association to provide locals with information on the development, told the Manly Daily he expected strong demand for the hospital’s services from the northern beaches.

“It’s not a ‘day’ hospital, it’s an acute care hospital,” he said. “The kind of surgery we’ll be doing is complex.

The boundary of the Wyvern Private Hospital site, between Myoora and Larool roads at Terrey Hills. Picture: Martens & Associates

“When you look at the number of operating theatres available to cover all of the catchment area, I don’t think there is enough now.

“I think our hospital will provide a crucial service for the community, particularly as its growing.

“And the northern beaches holds a larger percentage of the older population per capita.”