Sutherland Hopsital will get eight new operating theatres at a cost of $81.5 million in a health “cash splash” ahead of the March 23 state election.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard revealed the upgrade with shire MPs on Monday before joining Premier Gladys Berejiklian to announce a $385 million investment to continue rebuilding St George Hospital.
Mr Hazzard said the six operating theatres at Sutherland Hospital, which catered for all surgeries and endoscopies, would be replaced and two more added.
“The hospital will gain an extra two dedicated operating rooms as well as having two dedicated suites for endoscopies,” he said.
“All up, Sutherland Hospital will have eight operating theatres plus the two endoscopy suites.”
Work on the eight new operating theatres is due to commence in 2020-21, with the project scheduled to be completed in 2022-23.
Mr Hazzard said, at present, the hospital catered for more than 5000 surgery and acute procedural admissions a year.
“This $81.5 million investment will make a huge difference for patients in Sutherland Shire, who will be able to have their surgery quicker and closer to home,” he said.
“The theatres will be accommodated in a new operating precinct with new facilities for pre-admission.
“Clinicians, other hospital staff and the community will have the opportunity to contribute to the planning of the redevelopment work, including in the design of the new operating theatres.”
Mr Hazzard said the design team, in consultation with staff and the community, would decide whether the new precinct could be contained within the existing building footprint.
He said it was hard to put a figure on how many extra operations would be conducted because clinicians and administrators had the flexibility to use theatre space when required across the local health district.
The operating theatres project follows a $62.9 million redevelopment, which included a new emergency department, additional inpatient beds, and support spaces.
A $9.1 million multi-storey car park was completed prior to that.
St George Hospital will be given a new precinct that will include an ambulatory care unit, outpatient and day surgery services, a new day rehabilitation unit, increased sub-acute inpatient beds and a hub for community health and home-based services.
Mr Hazzard said construction at St George was expected to be completed in about three and a half years.
Ms Berejiklian also announced a state-wide $76 million elective surgery boost, focusing on children and cataract patients, leading to a war of figures between Labor and the government over whether elective surgery waiting lists had increased.
