The $53 million redevelopment of Gunnedah Hospital is on track with confirmation today the upgraded facility will deliver 54 spaces to provide care, which includes six new chairs for chemotherapy and renal services.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said community consultation had been front and centre in the project, securing the health needs of the Gunnedah community well into the future.

“The $53 million Gunnedah Hospital redevelopment is so important to the future of healthcare in the Gunnedah Shire, and I am excited that it will include an expanded emergency department and double the capacity for operating theatres to meet the future demand for hospital and community-based health services,” Mr Anderson said.

“I have been calling for the community to be front and centre throughout the planning stages for their new hospital and we have listened. Today’s announcement builds on our promise to build a Gunnedah Hospital that will serve the community for generations to come.

“Providing quality healthcare to our rural and regional communities is a key focus of the NSW Nationals in Government and the people of Gunnedah are benefitting with major investment in their hospital, in health worker accommodation, and in the growth of the town’s nurse training facilities.”

Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said the state-of-the-art health facility will continue to offer all current services, as well as additional space for community health services and the enhancement of chemotherapy and renal dialysis once construction is complete.

“The addition of chemotherapy and renal dialysis services will be a game changer for locals with patients no longer having to travel to outside the region to access this life-saving treatment,” Mrs Taylor said.

“Our focus for any redevelopment is ensuring the future healthcare needs of the community are met and that we get the planning stage right.

“In building any new hospital it is crucial that our health staff and the community are consulted and brought along on the journey, and the Gunnedah Hospital redevelopment is no exception.”

Gunnedah Hospital redevelopment is currently in its planning phase with construction to commence in 2023.

Since 2011, the government has delivered more than 170 hospitals and health facilities across NSW, with more than 110 currently underway – of those, more than 70 are in rural and regional areas.