NSW Health Minister, Jillian Skinner, last week inspected the site where work is set to commence on the new Ambulatory Care and Chemotherapy Building at Armidale.
Mrs Skinner, who was joined by the Member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay and Scot MacDonald, MLC at Armidale Hospital, said the $6.3 million facility will ensure patients have easy access to more streamlined health services in one location.
Mrs Skinner said the new facility, to be built on the Rusden St side of the hospital grounds, will provide a range of services to meet local demand.
These will include ambulatory care services, such as specialist consulting rooms for surgeons, anaesthetists, renal physicians and obstetrics and gynaecology; and chronic disease services, including dietician services; and chemotherapy
“This new facility will greatly enhance Armidale Hospital’s capacity to treat cancer patients from Armidale and neighbouring districts,” Mrs Skinner said.
“Once the building is finished, the new chemotherapy unit will not only provide more space for the cancer service, it will also fund two more chemotherapy treatment chairs, taking the total number of cancer treatment places at Armidale Hospital from four to six in 2013.”
Mr Torbay said ambulatory care services such as community dietician services, will also be enhanced with a move into the new building.
“Patients will be able to easily access these updated services in the building, which will provide more effective, streamlined services to the community in a purpose-built, dedicated department,” Mr Torbay said.
Mrs Skinner said the NSW Government has committed $5 million for the new ambulatory care facility, and the new chemotherapy unit is supported by funding of $1.3 million from the Australian Government under the Regional Cancer Centres Initiative through the Health and Hospitals Fund Program.
