HammondCare announces vision for new integrated health campus

HammondCare has announced a long-term plan to transform Neringah Hospital from a facility built in the 1960s into a contemporary, integrated health campus providing palliative care, aged care and seniors living accommodation.

The Wahroonga Stage 2 proposal to be submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment later this year will complete HammondCare’s vision for a campus that will meet the growing needs of an aging population in Northern Sydney, HammondCare said in a statement.

Care services proposed for the new campus at 4–12 Neringah Avenue South, Wahroonga, include inpatient and community-based palliative care services, residential aged care, seniors living, GP and outpatient clinics (including specialist palliative care clinics run by multidisciplinary teams), 24/7 onsite care, Centre for Positive Ageing and HammondCare at Home community care.

General Manager Health and Palliative Care Dr Andrew Montague said the campus would help HammondCare pursue its mission to improve the quality of life for people in need.

“This integrated health campus will offer best-practice palliative care, in both inpatient and community settings, as well as offering aged care services based on HammondCare’s relationship-based model of care,” Montague said.

“We look forward to consulting with the local community and other stakeholders as we progress our long-term plan that will take a number of years to complete. HammondCare understands that Neringah Hospital is a much-loved community asset — this plan will enhance its services.”

HammondCare’s proposal to be submitted as State Significant Development for the site includes the following:

• palliative care inpatient beds and community palliative outpatient services in a Schedule 3 health services facility
• 12 residential aged care beds, additional to those already onsite
• seniors living dwellings
• provision of more than 100 car parking spaces within basement level
• associated amenities
• site works, landscaping and public domain works.
   

The seniors living accommodation will come with access to 24/7 personal and health care, provided on a licensed basis. The accommodation will be home to residents aged over 75 with chronic health needs.

The project comprises a single building that will present to Neringah Ave South as two buildings, no higher than five floors plus basement parking, on the 12,000 square metre site. A pedestrian throughlink between the two buildings, accessible to the community, will join Archdale Park and Balcombe Park and link to Wahroonga shopping village.

The heritage-listed Woonona Cottage on Woonona Ave will not be impacted by the project, HammondCare said. The adjacent HammondCare Wahroonga aged care service, Wahroonga Stage 1, which opened in 2017, will also continue unaffected.

Population projections for the Northern Sydney Local Health District show an increase of up to 200% in residents aged 80 or over by 2036, according to HammondCare. Accompanying this aging population will be a higher prevalence of chronic disease, prolonged illness duration and complex comorbidities, the group said.

Image: Supplied.