WORK has begun on the $2 million upgrade of Gunnedah Hospital, with the state government continuing to allocate funds for the next financial year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While the money wasn’t a separate item in this week’s state Budget papers, funding will come out of a pot of Budget funds allocated to local health districts which totalled $121.9 million.
The $2 million refurbishment is being funded by Hunter New England Health’s capital upgrade program and carried out in stages.
Last year $200,000 in budget funding was allocated to planning and construction works on the Gunnedah upgrade, while the remainder of the funding will flow from this year on, with $1.5 million allocated for the project in the 2016/2017 financial year.
The first stage is now under way with the replacement of the roof of the administration and community health block and will be completed by September.
Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson has said the front of the hospital that includes the clinics, along with the maternity ward, emergency department and ambulance areas were all fine, however the wards “absolutely need to be looked at” as well as the areas around the kitchen, staff amenities and parts of the administration area.
“It is antiquated,” Mr Anderson said.
Hunter New England Health’s Manager of Capital Works Brett Evans said the tender for the design documentation of upgrades to the Clinical Sterile Supply Department and further scoping works was awarded in May.
Those designs are expected to be finalised in August.
“A construction tender for these upgrades would then be released in October 2016 with works expected to start in early 2017,” Mr Evans said.
“Hunter New England Health will continue scoping further works to be carried out within this project.”
Mr Anderson said he was pleased to see funding for the hospital continue in this year’s budget, along with other key projects announced for the shire that will help Gunnedah thrive and prosper.