Infrastructure planners are looking at Western Sydney as a hub of health services for a city that must treat an extra 1.5 million people by 2031 — many of them destined to live west of Parramatta.

A rapidly ageing population and emphasis on out-of-hospital care also means hospitals that do take patients will have to cope with ones who have a multitude of illnesses.

Beyond 2024, Health Minister Jillian Skinner said South-West Sydney will need even more services.

“In conjunction with further redevelopment of Campbelltown Hospital, a third children’s hospital for Sydney is likely to be required in South-Western Sydney to supplement Sydney’s two existing specialist children’s hospitals (at Westmead and Randwick),” she said.

“The new children’s hospital would be a high-level teaching hospital.”

Infrastructure planners are looking at Westmead Hospital to be the geographical and innovative heart of the city’s health system.

The Westmead campus redevelopment is the largest ever hospital campus redevelopment in NSW and when complete it will cost well over $1 billion.

The first stage will begin construction next year and will see new emergency department, expanded operating theatre capacity and expanded inpatient beds for critical care services. Clinical support areas will also be developed, including pathology services.

“The Westmead precinct is one of the largest health, research and education and training precincts in the world,” Ms Skinner said.

“The future redevelopment of the precinct will integrate existing buildings and new buildings to ensure a coordinated approach to delivery of services.”

She added that Sydney’s north-western suburbs are undergoing rapid population growth and “it is expected that a new hospital will be needed to serve this growing population”.

Sydney will absorb 78 per cent of NSW’s new residents between now and 2031.

The local government areas of Blacktown, Liverpool, The Hills Shire and Camden are the city’s population hot spots.

By 2031, according to the Department of Planning, these areas will have to absorb an average of 110,550 people each.

Outside of Sydney, Wyong (46,600) and Newcastle (37,600) will see the biggest population growth by 2031.

This increase is massive compared to Hunters Hill, Mosman, Manly, Lane Cove and Leichardt, who only have to absorb an average of 7320 each.

Blacktown will have 147,300 new residents by 2031 — the biggest population growth in the state for any local government area.

Up and up

Blacktown is also the site of the state’s biggest infrastructure project — Stage 1 of the $322 million Blacktown Mt Druitt Hospital.

“It is due for completion next year and includes a five-storey clinical services building, including comprehensive care centres for cancer, cardiac, respiratory and aged care, as well as a multistorey car park for 600 cars, which opened earlier this year,” a NSW Health spokeswoman said.

“Planning is underway for the Stage 2 redevelopment of Blacktown Hospital, which will redevelop the emergency department, add operating theatres, create increased inpatient beds and boost maternity and paediatric services.”

NSW shadow health spokesman Dr Andrew McDonald is a practising paediatrician who trains doctors at Liverpool Hospital.

He said the future lies in hospitals becoming specialist hubs.

“Western Sydney is the land of opportunity when it comes to the future of medical care,” he said.

“Smaller hospitals like Camden and Mt Druitt will need to be expanded to be able to play their part in the system.

“We need to further expand services in the Westmead, Blacktown, Nepean, Liverpool, Campbelltown areas. That is where the growth needs to be.”

Dr McDonald said hospitals will also become increasingly specialised in what they do best.

Fairfield will become increasingly sophisticated in joint treatment, for example, Camden and Fairfield in palliative care, and Liverpool will become more specialised in trauma.

“The future of healthcare is keeping people out of hospital and what will happen is improvements in treating people at home,” he said.

“And those patients who need hospitalisation will be increasingly more complex. People who come into hospital will be older, in their mid 80s, with multiple problems.”