Two NSW ministers came north this week to open the $88M Byron Central Hospital, a facility poised to replace the acute services long provided at Mullumbimby and Byron Bay hospitals, and community health services, including community nursing, at Bangalow, Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores.
Being housed under the same roof as hospital services, including the 14-bay ED and up to 43 in-patient beds, will enable ambulatory care professionals to liaise more readily with medical staff.
The 20 bed sub-acute mental health unit will “support step-up and step-down services, ensuring people can live well in the community,” Minister Goward said.
It will be used by patients throughout the North Coast, not just the local area, and will be opened progressively between now and the end of the year.
An extensive arts program was put in place for the project, with a range of works commissioned from local artists for both the garden area and the interior spaces. The NSW Government is currently engaged in a Health and the Arts process with a taskforce advising the Minister on how to better integrate arts and health activities across the whole of NSW Health, drawing on the National Arts and Health Framework and the NSW Arts and Cultural Policy Framework
