It seems all strings are being pulled for this State election, with the NSW Opposition Leader Mr Chris Minns pledging to upgrade Fairfield Hospital with a commitment of $115 million over three years, in a bid to expand the hospital bed capacity by almost 60 per cent.
The announcement was made in November 2022, after the cost of redevelopment was expected to be around $550 million and take up to six years from when work commences.
This will include 130 additional medical, surgical and rehabilitation beds, as well as the reinstatement of the Emergency Department and intensive care unit capacity. The expansion will also include extra funding to enhance radiology services, expand dialysis spaces, and expand aged care, orthopaedic, respiratory and interventional cardiology services, as well as mental health services, and introduce a Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre.
The parliamentary inquiry into South West Sydney health services recommended urgent upgrades to the hospital, as some services were being rationed and others simply non-existent.
“This campaign has been led by Council, the community and the Member for Fowler Dai Le and we will continue to work together to make sure the upgrades to Fairfield Hospital occur,” said the Mayor of Fairfield, Frank Carbone.
“And now I would like to call upon the current NSW State Government and Premier Dominic Perrottet to at least match this commitment by the opposition leader because as a community it’s important that we put the community’s needs above politics.”
It’s the final week leading into the NSW State election as voters prepare for what appears to be a very close race to the finish line.
The Opposition Leader Chris Minns said the pledge forms part of Labor’s broader health response “to begin to turn around 12 years of Liberal neglect of our state’s health and hospital system”.
“Boosting our health staff and expanding our hospital capacity to reduce the wait and treatment times and improving patient outcomes. I want to thank the hardworking hospital staff, nurses, paramedics, and doctors who do an incredible job around the clock in really difficult conditions”, Minns said.
The upgrade will not only improve the Emergency Department but also take the pressure off the overall waiting times in South West Sydney, one of Sydney’s fastest-growing regions.
Fairfield City Mayor Frank Carbone met earlier with the NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet along with the Member for Fowler Dai Le and said he will “continue to express people’s concerns about the urgent need for Fairfield Hospital upgrade”.