Upgrades to John Hunter Hospital do not mean plans for the Lower Hunter hospital will be delayed or shelved, the state government has promised.
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Hunter New England Health and Health Minister Jillian Skinner have ruled out the possibility that upgrades to the John Hunter would affect plans for the new Metford health facility, after the Mercury became aware of rumours that the government’s priorities had changed.
Mrs Skinner said the government was committed to starting construction of the Lower Hunter hospital before the next state election, in 2019, and work at the Newcastle hospital would not affect those plans.
“As part of the planning process for the new Maitland hospital, a master planning exercise has considered the broader clinical network across the Hunter, including Kurri Kurri Hospital, the existing Maitland Hospital and John Hunter Hospital,” she said.
“The NSW government has also committed to deliver the $7 million neonatal intensive care unit stage one expansion and $14 million paediatric intensive care unit at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital.”
Premier Mike Baird told the Mercury in June that more details about the hospital at Metford would be announced “very shortly”.
But, six months later, confirmation of a start work date has still not been announced, nor have details about the funding model for the new facility.
Hunter New England Health chief executive Michael DiRienzo said work at the John Hunter was the result of many years of planning and was not related to the Lower Hunter hospital project in any way.
“The new Maitland hospital will deliver enhanced services to meet the health needs of the growing local community, in a state-of-the art building,” he said in a statement to the Mercury.
“To ensure our existing and future facilities meet the clinical needs of the community, we continue to plan for the John Hunter Hospital’s evolution.
“For the past few years, Hunter New England Health has been working with Health Infrastructure to develop a master plan for the John Hunter Hospital campus that looks specifically at these intended future requirements and in the context of other major projects like the expanded Hunter Expressway.”
