Public hospitals in Western Sydney will receive a record $3 billion in funding, according to the NSW state government.
The state budget will allot the multibillion-dollar investment for expenditure on new hospital construction and hospital facility upgrades in greater Western Sydney.
It will be used to establish a new hospital in Rouse-Hill, rebuild Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital on a new location, and renovate Fairfield and Canterbury Hospitals by $100 million each.
The investment, according to NSW Premier Chris Minns, would provide “world-class healthcare” for the tens of thousands of people who move into rapidly developing areas of Western Sydney every year.
According to Minns, “we were elected with a clear mandate to rebuild essential services and invest in our frontline workers.”
“In recent years, there has been tremendous pressure on our healthcare system. The previous administration’s persistent underinvestment was detrimental.
The investment, according to the government, will relieve some of the strain on the “overburdened and underfunded” healthcare system.
Nearly 53,000 patients visited emergency rooms in the Western Sydney Local Health District between April and June, according to the Bureau of Health Information.
The data shows that just 42% of the patients began their treatment “on time”.
The Minister for Western Sydney, Prue Car, described Western Sydney as the “engine room” for the state’s economy and said it “deserves a proportionate rate of investment in services” when speaking at a press conference with Premier Chris Minss.
“This historic level of investment by the Minns Labor Government delivers what the community has been crying out for after many years of false promises,” stated Car.
Families “living across greater Western Sydney have a right to timely, equitable healthcare and they should have confidence in their local hospitals,” according to Health Minister Ryan Park.
