Last Updated 7 May 2008

The NSW Government is building a better health care service for the Northern Beaches. As well as a major new metropolitan hospital to be built at Frenchs Forest, the Northern Beaches will also benefit from a reorganisation of community health care services.

Latest FAQs

Added May 2008: Will there be a children's ward in the new hospital and what is the time line is for the completion of the hospital?

The plan for the new Northern Beaches Hospital does indeed include paediatric beds and ambulatory care services. As is the current situation, children requiring specialist paediatric care will continue to be referred to the appropriate children's hospital according to Department of Health referral guidelines.

The Health Service Plan outlining what will be provided at the hospital has been submitted to government and will be released soon. In the meantime steps have been taken to prepare for the next stage of planning, the Project Definition Plan, as well as work to progress some of the site planning.

FIRST, A COUPLE OF PLANNING PRINCIPLES

Planning for our new health services is based on a number of agreed principles that will drive the project. Here are two important principles:

WE WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE WELL... AND KEEP THEM OUT OF HOSPITAL.

Northern Sydney Central Coast Health is committed to providing the best possible health care for the people of the Northern Beaches, beginning with services that keep people well and out of hospital.

The aim is to offer the most frequently used services, such as rehabilitation, mental health, pregnancy care and child health, locally in the community setting wherever possible.

Other services, which might require more complex care or more support services, would be offered in the new Northern Beaches Hospital.

MOST PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES WILL GET MOST OF THEIR HEALTH CARE NEEDS MET ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES.

We want the best possible combination of safe, sustainable and accessible healthcare for the Northern Beaches.

The aim is to create a network of care, so that every health care facility becomes a gateway into the healthcare system.

Another important aspect of the planning is to provide as many appropriate health services as possible on the Northern Beaches, to avoid the need for people to travel to Royal North Shore Hospital, or other health facilities out of the area.

NOW, SOME ANSWERS TO YOUR COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

What's happening NOW?

Why do we need service planning?

When will the new hospital open?

How much will it cost?

The new Northern Beaches Hospital is often described as a "level five" hospital, but what is "level five"?

Why was Frenchs Forest selected as the site for the new hospital?

How did the community consultation process influence the final site decision?

How will planners address local traffic problems at Frenchs Forest?

What about public transport?

What will happen to the forest on the Frenchs Forest site?

Is there a bushfire risk?

Are any native animals affected?

What happens to the houses adjacent to the Frenchs Forest site?

What is happening at Manly and Mona Vale Hospitals in the interim period?

What will happen to the Mona Vale Hospital site when the new hospital opens?

Why is Manly Hospital being replaced?

What will happen to the Manly Hospital site?

What happened to Pittwater Council's Warriewood option?

What's happening NOW?

• Planning for the new Northern Beaches Hospital at Frenchs Forest is well underway and a great deal of progress has already been made. A plan for the delivery of improved health services across the northern beaches, including Manly and Mona Vale hospitals as well as the new Northern Beaches Hospital, is currently being finalised by the Area Health Service and NSW Department of Health.
• The NSW Government is getting on with the job of establishing a new hospital for the people of the Northern Beaches. Property Acquisition Notices have been issued for the compulsory acquisition of the remaining seven properties required for the development of the hospital. The ongoing nature of the negotiations to acquire the remaining properties will not affect the delivery of the new Northern Beaches Hospital, which is progressing according to plan.

Why is service planning taking so long? Why not just build a new hospital?

Redevelopment of the health services for the Northern Beaches will represent a major investment of public funds, and government requires that such major projects are conducted with probity and diligence.

Factors that need to be considered when planning new major services include:

• The impact of population change, including ageing, birth rates and location
• The likely changes in health care over the coming decades, such as new ways of providing care using emerging technologies, or the changes in the availability of the workforce
• The impact of the development on other health services, and the opportunities for networking or specialization
• Consideration of the best setting for care, whether in a hospital bed, a clinic, a community health centre or the person's home
• The relative cost and benefit of different care options, and the impact of these costs on the ability to provide other services.

The Health Service Plan that has been submitted to government explores these issues and provides an outline of how services might best be provided in the redevelopment to meet goals of quality, access and value for money.

Once this plan has been reviewed and approved, the next stage will be the Project Definition Plan (PDP), which goes into greater detail about specific service requirements. This plan will be conducted with extensive consultation with major stakeholders. It prepares the way for architectural plans and detailed design.

When will the new hospital open?

Planning the services, and designing and building the new hospital, is a very complex task.

At this stage, the project definition plan is expected to be completed in mid-2008. Design and construction would be expected to start after that and take some three years to complete.

How much will it cost?

The budget for the project will depend on the types of services to be delivered. The budget will be finalised as part of the planning process.

The new Northern Beaches Hospital is often described as a `level five' hospital, but what is `level five'?

In NSW, hospital services are classified from one to six according to complexity. This is called "role delineation".

The level does not refer to the standard of health care or describe the type of facility.

Generally, the higher the level of service, the more capacity it has to manage complex medical, surgical or other problems.

Higher level services are usually bigger (i.e. more beds, more staff), have more specialised staff and more complex support services (such as 24-hour pathology, medical imaging and anaesthetics).

For instance, a level six intensive care unit has the most critically ill patients in the state - trauma, burns, neurosurgery or complex transplant patients who require extremely specialised medical and nursing care. There are only a handful of these in the state.

A level five intensive care service would be expected to manage general intensive care patients, who may be long-term or require ventilation (mechanical breathing support). A level five ICU would be expected to be staffed by intensive care specialists, not general physicians. It would also require more complex support services, such as 24-hour pathology, medical imaging and anaesthetics.

Higher level services in specialty areas such as surgery, medicine and intensive care also provide more training and career opportunities for staff because of the complexity and number of cases they manage. This makes higher level services much more attractive to potential staff members and assists in recruiting and retaining medical and nursing staff.

Why was Frenchs Forest selected as the site for the new hospital?

• detailed analysis of the site indicated that Frenchs Forest is the best location for the new hospital for several reasons, including:
• It is fairly centrally located for the wider Northern Beaches community.
• It is reasonably `greenfield', that is, the site is relatively empty. Some existing buildings will require demolition and some local properties will need to be acquired.
• There is room for expansion in the future, if additional services or facilities are required. Because it is a greenfield site, the construction impact will be reduced.
• There will be much less disruption to homes, businesses and traffic than, say, if the hospital was being constructed on an existing hospital site or in a business district.
• A new hospital at Frenchs Forest will significantly reduce `patient drift' to Royal North Shore Hospital. This means that most people living on the northern beaches will have most of their health care needs met on the Northern Beaches.
• It is well placed to attract new staff. Staffing is major issue in health - it is vitally important that the new hospital be in the best possible position to recruit and retain highly qualified staff. Although this is closely linked to the level of service offered by a hospital, its accessibility makes it more attractive for potential employees.
• The Frenchs Forest site is a level, undulating site with good ground conditions for building. Current planning indicates that it will provide a pleasant and attractive setting for the new hospital.

How did the community consultation process influence the final decision?

The results of the community consultation held were presented to Government and were taken into account when deciding on the best location for the new Northern Beaches Hospital.

Pittwater Council's Warriewood option was assessed using the same criteria. Independent appraisal showed it to be less suitable than several other sites.

When combined with the results of the independent appraisals, Frenchs Forest was the best option.

How will planners address local traffic problems at Frenchs Forest?

Planners and technical advisers have already consulted closely with the RTA in relation to road and traffic issues. The hospital plan will recommend some changes to local roadways to improve access and to resolve environmental issues such localised flooding during periods of very heavy rain.

The improvements are expected to benefit all road users and substantially improve traffic flow in the area.

What about public transport?

Access to public transport is an important issue.

Planners have already met with transport authorities to discuss options for diverting existing public transport routes through the proposed hospital precinct.

What will happen to the forest on the Frenchs Forest site?

Bushland cleared from the Frenchs Forest site will be compensated for by planting new bushland on a nearby site owned by the another Government department.

Effectively, this `swaps' parcels of bushland from areas needed for development to areas which are not, and ensures there is no `net' loss of bushland in the local area.

It also has the benefit of rehabilitating what is often badly degraded local bushland by replacing it with more environmentally appropriate vegetation.

A nearby site has already been identified.

Is there a bushfire risk on the Frenchs Forest site?

While no location in Sydney is totally fireproof, simple measures such as choice of building material and style of building, appropriate risk reduction policies and procedures, appropriate landscaping and good management of the adjacent bushland will reduce the risk considerably.

Are any native animals affected?

No. Extensive studies by ecological experts indicate that there is no endangered flora or fauna on the site.

What happens to the houses adjacent to the Frenchs Forest site?

• Acquisition Notices have been issued for the compulsory acquisition of the remaining seven properties required for the development of the hospital. The ongoing nature of the negotiations to acquire the remaining properties will not affect the delivery of the new Northern Beaches Hospital, which is progressing according to plan.

There are strict protocols in place to ensure that landowners they will not be disadvantaged by having their property acquired by Government.

What about Manly and Mona Vale Hospitals in the interim period?

Until the new hospital is complete, services will continue to be provided from both Manly and Mona Vale Hospitals, and the NSW Government has made and will continue to make significant investments in both Manly and Mona Vale Hospitals to provide extra staffing and improved facilities.

• The Northern Beaches community will benefit from about $10 million worth of improvements now underway, or recently completed, at Mona Vale and Manly Hospitals. The upgrades are designed to maintain services at the existing hospitals whilst planning continues for the new Northern Beaches Hospital.
• At Mona Vale Hospital, $3.8 million worth of works to improve function and patient flow in the Emergency Department have been completed.
• $1.7 million improvements to Aged Care Facilities at Mona Vale Hospital allow for the co-location of the Ambulatory Aged Care team with the existing aged care services. Staff moved into the new areas in January 2007.
• The Manly Hospital Intensive Care redevelopment, at a cost of $2.1 million and completed in July 2007, has increased ICU capacity by two ventilated beds to a total of 10 beds.
• The lifts at Mona Vale Hospital have been replaced at a cost of approximately $1.5 million, improving access for staff, visitors and patients.

What about maternity and ICU services in the interim period, while the new hospital is being built?

One of the reasons for change has been the difficulty in maintaining service across two hospital sites due to staffing issues.

To enable the ongoing provision of services, there may be some changes in service configuration for maternity and ICU services at Manly and Mona Vale, dependent upon patient safety being maintained, ability to recruit and retain specialized staff, and the ability to offer different models of care.

What will happen to Mona Vale Hospital when the new hospital opens?

Northern Sydney Central Coast Health has stated its intention to retain and redevelop the Mona Vale Hospital site. Health services planning will now determine the services to be offered on the Mona Vale Hospital site, and the type of facility required to deliver them.

Why is Manly Hospital being replaced?

The local community and healthcare workers (including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and community health workers) agree that Manly is no longer a suitable site for a major hospital.

The Manly town centre is becoming increasingly congested, making the hospital difficult to reach. It can only be reached via one relatively minor local road.

The existing facilities are being carefully maintained, but will need to be replaced to meet stricter occupational health and safety regulations, and healthcare accreditation standards. The layout of the buildings does not support modern health care service delivery.

The new Northern Beaches Hospital will replace Manly Hospital and consolidate major acute services from both hospitals.

What will happen to the Manly Hospital site?

The future of the Manly Hospital site will be determined in consultation with the local community. One option would be use as an aged care accommodation precinct.

For more information:

Contact us on: 9976 9370 or visit

www.nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au