04 November 2005

Minister unveils plans for new Bathurst Hospital

NSW Minister for Health John Hatzistergos today announced the preferred concept plan for the new Bathurst Hospital.

The Minister made the announcement while visiting the existing Bathurst Hospital with the Member for Bathurst, Gerard Martin MP.

"The Bathurst and Orange Hospital redevelopments represent a $236 million investment in delivering quality health care to this region," Mr Hatzistergos said.

"They will provide a state-of-the-art environment for health professionals to deliver quality services to communities in the Central West," he said.

Mr Hatzistergos said highlights of the new Bathurst health campus plan include:

• Integrated community health and inpatient services
• Critical care services
• Advanced procedural unit with a focus on day surgery
• Regional rehabilitation service

"A new service for Bathurst will be an inpatient mental health unit, adjacent to the Emergency Department that will provide an immediate response for people with acute mental illness.

"This is an exciting addition to the comprehensive health services to be offered from the Bathurst health campus," Mr Hatzistergos said.

Member for Bathurst Gerard Martin MP welcomed the new concept plans.

"This is an important announcement for Bathurst, and it brings the new hospital we need another step closer," Mr Martin said.

"Community views were incorporated in developing this concept design, and it retains the historic hospital building, with the new building being situated behind it.

"The redeveloped Bathurst Hospital will be a truly first class health facility for the Bathurst community and surrounding areas," he said.

It is expected that enabling works to prepare the Bathurst site for construction will begin in late 2005, and major construction will commence around mid 2006.

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