The bulk of the $86 million cost of Wollongong Hospital's new elective surgery unit will be funded in this year’s state budget.
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More than $45.8 million has been allocated to the project in this financial year, while an additional $11.5 million has been earmarked for continued work on the hospital's car park expansion.
Further south, $32.8 million was today put towards construction of the new $170.1 million South East Regional Hospital at Bega.
The money is part of $1.2 billion in capital funding announced to upgrade and redevelop hospitals and health facilities across the state.
It will include $7.3 million to support the operating costs of new linear accelerators in cancer centres at Wollongong, Nowra, Gosford, Orange and Tamworth.
NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner said it was part of the government's mission to rebuild the hospital system and constituted an increase of 10 per cent on last year's capital works spend.
‘‘The capital funding provisions for health in the NSW budget is about more than bricks and mortar - it is about building the hospitals and health care facilities our patients and staff expect and deserve,’’' Ms Skinner said.
Overall, an additional $884 million will be invested in the NSW health system in 2013-14, an increase of 5.2 per cent on the previous year.
The recurrent budget for NSW Health is $17.9 billion, plus the $1.2 billion on capital works.
Mental health was also a key focus of the 2013-14 state budget, with $1.45 billion to be spent on mental health services and initiatives across the state.
Shoalhaven Hospital will share in $26 million for the expansion of health services.
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