The group behind the ambitious project yesterday said geo-technical work had begun at the Crown St site, west of Wollongong Hospital, and would take about six weeks.

Excavations would then begin and last up to six months, pending a construction certificate.

The project was expected to be finished in early to mid-2014.

Vascular surgeon Arthur Stanton, one of two doctors behind the development, said it would ease pressure on Wollongong’s struggling public hospital and cut waiting times in casualty.

‘‘We’re probably one of the largest cities in Australia with the smallest private network, and one of the advantages of having a strong private network is it augments the public hospital network,’’ Dr Stanton said.

‘‘We all know as doctors that we treat private patients in the public system.’’

Wollongong Private Hospital will include 156 beds, 11 operating theatres, an intensive care unit with about 20 beds, the region’s only hyperbaric oxygen chamber, radiology and pathology services, a maternity unit and GP centre.

‘‘There’s a lot of benefits, but the one that is stark and rises above the rest is the fact that we will be able to do cardiac surgery and lung cancer surgery - something that we haven’t been able to do in this area,’’ Dr Stanton said.

‘‘There will be a dedicated cardiac unit. There will be a dedicated lung surgery unit, which means we will be able to attract cardio-thoracic surgeons.’’

It is estimated that 90 jobs will be created during construction and the hospital will employ at least 300 staff once operational.

The NSW Government signed off on the hospital plans in April last year.

Dr Stanton said AA Crown Holdings, the consortium behind the hospital, was in discussions with property firm Colliers International about the commercial leasing of the medical suites.

Geotechnical work now underway involved drilling soil samples to establish how excavation would proceed.

Construction certificates would be applied for in stages.