Positive rumblings have greeted the outing of plans for a $300 million Wollongong health and hospital precinct as the bid to secure funding for the project heats up.
The University of Wollongong proposal - which includes plans for a 180-bed "quasi-private" hospital that will also admit public patients - is expected to halve the number of people forced to travel outside the region for hospital treatment.
It relies on the Federal Government to provide the lion's share of $200 million in combined government funding.
Cunningham MP Sharon Bird said the proposal was "tremendous" and would be eligible for funding from the caretaker government's Health and Hospitals Fund if identified as a priority by the State Government.
"Once I know the outcome of the election this is one of the first things I'll be following up on," Ms Bird said.
Throsby MP Stephen Jones has also voiced support for the project, as have State Keira MP David Campbell and NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell.
Plans for the precinct include an integrated primary care health centre with about 10 outpatient clinics.
The concept is intended to complement the university's training of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.
A trust between the university and NSW Health would oversee the hospital.
St Vincent's and Mater Health Sydney is the proposed operator for the hospital. The link, together with the promise of academic posts within the Graduate School of Medicine, is expected to attract high-level medical specialists.
The university's Pro Vice-Chancellor (Health) Don Iverson estimates the increased capacity will reduce out-of-area hospitalisations from 7-10 per cent to 3-4 per cent.
"We don't have the capacity to do some of the cancer surgeries that they do in Sydney, but most of the orthopaedic surgery, for example, could be done in Wollongong because we have all of the surgeons here. We just need the theatres for them," Prof Iverson said.
"Some people go out of the area, not because we don't have the services here, but because they have to wait too long."
Prof Iverson said the hospital could be considered "quasi-private" because it wasn't part of the area health service, but would have contracts to provide services to public patients in certain areas.
NSW Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt said the Government supported plans for an expanded health and medical precinct in Wollongong.
"A major project such as this will deliver to the Illawarra a world-leading facility linking clinical practice, teaching and research," she said.
Email a friend