Royal North Shore Hospital: Doctors speak out over high rise plans for major health campus

High rise housing and new private health facilities could be added to Royal North Shore Hospital as part of contentious plans that have left some doctors seeing red. See what’s planned.

Angry doctors are rallying against a contentious plan to add high rise buildings – including apartments – to one of Sydney’s largest hospitals, with fears land could be “sold off” at the expense of patient health outcomes.

High rise housing and new private health facilities could be added to Royal North Shore Hospital campus as part of a contentious masterplan released by the Northern Sydney Local Health District.

The plan has revealed seven high rise buildings could be built on the site including new and expanded clinical service facilities, private health facilities, ambulatory care services and mental health facilities.

The masterplan also incorporates a high rise housing tower that could be used to accommodate key workers such as nurses and paramedics.

The housing proposal has been met with staunch opposition from some hospital staff due to concerns land that could be allocated for vital health services was instead being siphoned off for housing.

Dr Bruce Cooper has called for land at the hospital precinct to be dedicated for healthcare.

A community group called Help Save Royal North Shore Hospital has amassed more than 2,500 supporters, raising concerns over the scale of the development and a lack of consultation on the masterplan.

Dr Bruce Cooper, a senior staff specialist who has worked at the hospital since 1991, said the hospital provides a “critical service” for the health outcomes of the region’s population.

“Almost one million people fall under the direct management of the hospital and the current master plan unfortunately lists many non-clinical services,” he said.

A photo of new buildings proposed as part of the masterplan.

Plans stated the need for the masterplan would address rapid population growth in Sydney’s north, partly driven by state government housing targets.

The targets include adding more than 6000 new units in Crows Nest and St Leonards town centres over the next 15 years.

“The population of the Royal North Shore Hospital’s local and referral catchment is forecast to increase and there is also likely to be an increased rate of chronic disease and comorbidities within the community which will intensify demand for clinical services,” the plan stated.

The masterplan also reveals technological advancements could “significantly change the role and traditional hospital services” which could see a decline in demand on services due to advancements in models of care.

New buildings could be added to the hospital.

Other proposals outlined in the masterplan include a new community centre, an Indigenous Health Centre and a new basement car park – doubling the number of carparks within the hospital precinct.

The masterplan also outlines future development possibilities including incorporating the Northern Sydney TAFE campus into the site to create a new “education and research hub”.

In a statement, a spokesman for the health district said the masterplan was developed after an “extensive four-month stakeholder engagement period with clinical and non-clinical groups.”

“(The masterplan) is a tool to guide decision-making over the next 40 years on the hospital campus to ensure it can continue to provide world-class health and research facilities,” he said.

“It considers the campus’s capacity to meet forecast demand for clinical services, alongside demand for other non-clinical supporting services that would support patients and staff, and visitors to the campus.”