Westmead Hospital: new emergency, acute services building opens to staff

Construction on Westmead Hospital’s state-of-the-art central acute services building - part of its $1 billion redevelopment - has wrapped up three months early and is bracing for a potential increase in coronavirus patients.

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Construction is complete on a new state-of-the-art hospital building in the geographical heart of Sydney, which will offer two emergency departments and acute services as part of a $1 billion redevelopment plan.

The early completion of the new Westmead Hospital building — which features more than 300 rooms for patients alongside several world-class education and research centres — comes as NewsLocal can reveal staff are planning a phased opening of the facility.

Westmead Health Precinct’s new central acute services building has opened early as part of the government's $1 billion redevelopment.

Western Sydney Local Health District chief executive Graeme Loy said the keys to the new Central Acute Services Building were handed over to staff, which are “finalising the operational commissioning so we’re ready for the phased opening of the new hospital”.

This is a collaboration between Westmead Hospital and the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the two emergency departments enable us to provide outstanding care, no matter who comes to hospital,” Mr Loy said.

Western Sydney Local Health Chief Executive Graeme Loy.

“This is the first time we’ve brought together Westmead Hospital with the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, as well as Sydney University to create a space of high quality care, learning and innovation.”

He said the facility would establish the Westmead Health Precinct as a “magnet to attract the best and brightest” in healthcare.

The new facility is part of a $1 billion development collaboration between Westmead Hospital, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, the University of Sydney and Health Infrastructure.

THE GREAT DIVIDE — SYDNEY’S HEALTH STORY

Part One: Why south west patients are funded $800 less per person

Part Two: Why south west patients are forced to travel hours for treatment

Part Three: Why leaders are calling for a new hospital at Aerotropolis

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the world class building, the centrepiece of the $1 billion-plus Westmead redevelopment, would help people at a critical time of the coronavirus pandemic.

“This redevelopment will help ensure our health system continues to provide high-quality health care, research and education facilities for decades to come, as well as ensuring the system can deal with potential surges in COVID-19 cases,’’ Ms Berejiklian said.

Westmead Health Precinct’s new central acute services building (centre) has opened early as part of the government's $1 billion redevelopment.

Once operational, the 14-storey building will include two emergency departments for adults and children; more than 300 patient rooms; digital operating theatres; education, research and training facilities on each floor; landscaped entry plaza and forecourt and 1.5 floors for Sydney University to use for education and research.

Ms Berejiklian said the acute services building had the capacity to provide “hundreds of beds to care for COVID-19 patients, should the need arise”.

Westmead Health Precinct’s new central acute services could deal with a surge in potential COVID-19 cases.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said once up and running, the facility would provide a centre for groundbreaking health research to benefit every Australian.

“Our health experts will be working alongside top medical and scientific researchers in this new 14-storey hub, which embeds staff from The University of Sydney, and includes research, education and training facilities,” Mr Hazzard said.

The health precinct is a hub of education and research, including work into finding a COVID-19 vaccine.

In the coming months, work will be carried out to complete equipment installation and other preparations for the opening and staged move of services and staff.

As part of the precinct’s redevelopment, $619 million has been allocated for stage two of The Children’s Hospital.

RACE TO FIND A CURE

As the world races to find a cure for the coronavirus that has claimed more than 248,000 lives around the globe, much of Australia’s contribution to find a cure is undertaken at The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR).

The institute’s executive director Philip O’Connell said: “Australia, and in particular The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, is playing an important role in these urgent endeavours. There are many challenges ahead, including the need for immediate and ongoing research funding.

“While a vaccine or cure for COVID-19 is some way off, each new finding adds another piece to the puzzle. This disease is not going be cured by a single institution or single researcher. It will require the collective efforts of many groups, around the world, towards a single objective. This is something that WIMR does well.”