PM: It's good to be here with David Bradbury, our local Member, and to talk about the particular challenges facing the health and hospital needs in western Sydney, and here at the Nepean Hospital. Together with the Government of New South Wales, we're seeking to improve hospital services here. And as evidence of that, across the road you will see work commencing in about a month on what will be called East Wing, different to the West Wing I suppose. East Wing, which is a total investment on our part of nearly $100 million, to add additional surgical beds, add additional mental health beds, add additional services to this hospital more broadly.
This is part and parcel of helping to build more health and hospital services here in western Sydney, which is a huge growth zone not just for greater Sydney, but for the nation. And that's why we've got to keep pace with that. Secondly, it's also evidence of the sort of work we'll now be doing together to improve health and hospital services under a new health and hospitals network for the nation. Last week in Canberra, together with Kristina Keneally, we agreed on a new NHHN for Australia-wide, a new National Health and Hospitals Network to be funded nationally, and run locally.
More autonomy for local clinicians and health experts in this part of western Sydney, and for the first time, the Australian Government becoming the dominant funder of the future needs of the health and hospital network, including of the public hospital system.
(The video related to this transcript is available from the Multimedia section of this website.)