The Minns Labor Government has announced plans are now underway to build a new Integrated Health Hub for the growing South West Sydney community of Wilton.
The future Integrated Health Hub will create a one-stop-shop for non-acute healthcare such as primary care, preventative care, and early intervention services to meet local health needs closer to home.
The hub will facilitate earlier patient discharge from the region’s hospitals, among the busiest in Australia, reduce avoidable ED visits and hospital admissions, and deliver essential care much closer to home.
This will help to reduce pressures on hospitals, allowing higher acuity care to be prioritised for those who need it most.
Land acquisition is a critical first step towards establishing the Integrated Health Hub, which will shift appropriate care from higher acuity hospital facilities to a more suitable and accessible community setting in Wilton.
In selecting the site, the Government will consider how easily it can be accessed by the community as well as its closeness to population centres, including connectivity with commercial and retail centres, as well as public transport option and parking.
The future Wilton hub will bring together community, outpatient and virtual health care in an accessible location, reducing the need to travel outside the local community for these services.
The Minns Labor Government is investing $11.9 billion to deliver more beds and expanded services across 32 new or upgraded health facilities in NSW, while also easing pressure on the system by increasing access to care through alternate pathway, including by:
- Investing in virtual and urgent care services
- Supporting geriatric outreach and Hospital in the Home.
- Expanding scope of practice for pharmacists to treat uncomplicated skin conditions and UTIs, and resupply and prescribe the contraceptive pill
- Expanding scope of practice for GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
“Not only are we investing in more beds and more hospitals, but we are also investing in community-based care that is more accessible and closer to home.
“This is a part of NSW that is growing quickly. This Hub will help meet the needs of the growing community, securing the future of health services for the broader Macarthur region.
“By planning for a new Integrated Health Hub in Wilton, we are ensuring people will have improved access to care while also relieving pressure from some of the country’s busiest hospitals.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Wollondilly Judy Hannan:
“The NSW Government is investing in the health of people now and into the future by establishing new ways of delivering healthcare.
“Once established, the Wilton hub will not only provide a better patient experience, but also better value for NSW taxpayers as we direct them away from more expensive acute facilities and towards appropriate community-based options.
“For our Wollondilly community, from seniors to young families, it is critical to have accessible public health services close to home.”
Quotes attributable to Chief Executive South Western Sydney Local Health District Sonia Marshall:
“Taking local health care beyond the typical hospital setting and into communities not only improves convenience for patients, it ensures the long-term sustainability of the health system.
“As a local health District, we take a long-term view to health service planning, not only delivering the care people need now, but looking at new and better ways to serve our growing community in the future.”
