While an official opening date for the state-of-the-art health facility is yet to be announced, Hunter New England Health chief Michael DiRienzo says the plan for the new hospital is to move, settle, then grow.

When it opens, the staff, patients and services at the existing Maitland Hospital site - which has just under 200 beds and has served the community for more than 175 years - will be directly transferred to the new 339-bed facility, although it would not be operating at full capacity for some time.

"We know that over time, this area is growing and therefore it has to have the ability to see more and more patients that will be coming to this facility now and into the future," Mr DiRienzo said.

Some services, such as the hospital's cardiac "cath lab" would not begin immediately.

"The cath lab is a new service, so we are in the process of recruiting cardiologists and a whole new team to join the medical team here. A dedicated cardiology team," Mr DiRienzo said.

"The director would like to get in here, embed it, and start the outpatients first, and then work towards more interventional work in about six months' time."

The new facility would be categorised as a "level four" hospital. The John Hunter Hospital is a "level six", owing to its major trauma centre and range of specialties such as neurosurgery.

"The idea of this new hospital is to lift it to a higher level," Mr DiRienzo said.

"Well be kicking off as a level four, but in the process we will be to lift it to a level five over time."

From the colourful artworks of the main entrance to the picturesque outlooks from the large windows throughout, the hospital has been designed to feel less clinical, and more welcoming. Its double and single rooms all have an ensuite, and the nurse call system has a speech functionality to minimise some of the noise and beeps that can disturb patients overnight.

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Above each department's name there is an Aboriginal translation, which community elder Aunty Sharon Edgar-Jones said was a small step towards making the local Indigenous community feel more comfortable.

"Most older Aboriginal people have had some trouble during hospital experiences," she explained. "I know when my mum was dying from cancer, she was in a regional centre hospital, and her perception was that she was being treated very differently because of her Aboriginality. She begged me not to tick the box if any of my children were admitted to hospital, because she was worried they'd be mistreated, or treated cruelly.

"Having the artwork and language around doesn't address that, but it will go a little way towards making them feel a little more comfortable about presenting to hospital when they are unwell."

Aunty Sharon said she was asked to provide the language translations for the hospital, but there were words that were "totally foreign" to Aboriginal culture.

"For example, 'chemotherapy' translates as 'Place for making the unwell body well'," she said.

The new hospital services include a new 12-chair chemotherapy service, an MRI and an additional CT scanner, as well as a purpose-built "early treatment zone" in the emergency department.

There are expanded facilities for surgery, maternity and paediatric care, along with renal dialysis, oral health services and outpatient clinics. A rooftop helipad connects patients directly to the hospital for fast and efficient treatment.

Member for Maitland, Jenny Aitchison, said the new hospital would be a "game-changer" for the Lower Hunter community. She sees it becoming a "cancer hub" for the broader district.

"We started off in 2011 with a $20 million commitment, and now we have something that when you add the $30 million carpark, is a $500 million hospital."

Visit newmaitlandhospital.health.nsw.gov.au to access the virtual tour, ask questions and register for a live Q&A on Tuesday, December 14.

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