08 December 2004

Premier officially opens $24 Million Croydon Health Centre

The Premier of NSW, Mr Bob Carr today officially opened the $24 million Croydon Community Health Centre, the largest purpose-built community health centre in NSW.

It will also include a new 127-bed residential aged care facility operated by Catholic Health Care Services.

Mr Carr said the centre was part of the State Government’s $400 million plan to provided expanded health services for families in the Inner West.

“This is a one-stop shop of health services…from early childhood care through to aged care facilities and services.

“The centre, on the site of the old Western Suburbs Hospital, will be home to around 180 staff providing community health services including several new clinical positions.

“It will provide approximately 107,000 occasions of service over the next 12 months alone, assisting an average of 500 local residents every day.”

New community services to be offered from the Centre include:

• Adult Dentistry; and
• Paediatric Allied Health that offers audiology, speech pathology and physiotherapy.

Existing community health services to be consolidated into the Centre include:

• Mental Health and community outreach programs;
• Early Childhood;
• Community Nursing;
• Child Adolescent Family Services;
• Drug Health;
• Child Protection Services;
• Podiatry;
• Health interpreter services; and
• A Living Skills Unit

Mr Carr said the Centre would cater for a community population of around 75,000 people that is forecast to grow by 7.5 per cent over the next few years, or almost 30 people per week.

“Many of these services were provided in the past from outmoded buildings not equipped to deal with rising community demand.

“They will now be provided in a modern facility that sets new standards in design for community health care and welcomes residents of all ages.

Mr Carr said the Croydon Health Centre was an innovative partnership between the NSW Government, Catholic Health Care and Bovis Lend Lease.

The local Area Health Service will provide the community health services while Catholic Health Care Services (NSW & ACT) will operate a 127-bed residential aged care community service.

The residential aged care service includes a low care (hostel), high care (nursing home) and specialist dementia care for older women and men.

The nursing home includes 40 high dependency nursing beds offering specialist dementia care for local residents.

Mr Carr was joined at the opening by the NSW Minister for Health, Mr Morris Iemma, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell and local ALP Member for Strathfield, Ms Virginia Judge.

Mr Carr praised the Member for Strathfield, Virginia Judge, for her tireless advocacy and support for community health services.

Ms Judge said the new centre expanded community health services was in line with the best clinical planning.

“This is an import new facility that will provide top quality care for children, families and older people across the Inner West.

The Croydon Health Centre is located a convenient five-minute walk from Croydon Railway Station and along the bus route on Liverpool Road.

Underground parking is also provided.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au