The $619 million Stage 2 redevelopment of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) has soared to new heights, with the new Paediatric Services Building officially reaching its full height of nearly 70 metres.
A topping out ceremony was recently held to mark the significant construction milestone of the 14-storey building.
Serving as the centrepiece of the hospital’s redevelopment project, the Paediatric Services Building is designed to provide new and expanded critical and acute healthcare services.
Minister for Health Ryan Park said the construction of the new hospital building will ensure The Children’s Hospital at Westmead continues providing world-class facilities for children and their families from all over NSW, as well as clinicians and researchers.
“These new, cutting-edge healthcare facilities will set the standard nationally and globally for paediatric healthcare,” he said.
“One of my key priorities in Government has been to improve the first 2,000 days of a child’s life. This project helps to achieve this goal through ensuring kids have high quality healthcare infrastructure.
“Once complete, the new 14-storey building will support children requiring acute and critical healthcare across multiple departments, combining cancer services, operating theatres, intensive care, pharmacy, and inpatient units in one place.”
The new building will include a new and expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, cancer services including a new day oncology treatment centre and inpatients units, as well as a new perioperative unit containing operating theatres, cardiac catheterisation labs and interventional laboratory.
Statewide service for burns, offering inpatient and outpatient facilities, a new pharmacy and oncology pharmacy and a new Surgical Short Stay Unit are also among the services to be provided.
Currently, around 300 workers are working at the site each day.
This number is expected to increase to around 500 a day at the peak of construction and fit out.
The building is due to be completed in 2025.
The Stage 2 Redevelopment of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead is being delivered by Health Infrastructure in partnership with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network.
“This significant investment in redeveloping The Children’s Hospital at Westmead will provide our leading healthcare and research professionals with access to modern healthcare facilities, technology and equipment,” Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Chief Executive, Cathryn Cox said.
“The redevelopment is creating contemporary facilities to revolutionise frontline medicine while fostering improved healthcare outcomes for children across the country to live their healthiest lives.”
The redevelopment also includes a new multi-storey car park, a revitalised ‘KidsPark’ forecourt with new food and beverage options for staff, patients and their families, an Aboriginal Gathering Space, three new playgrounds to suit children of all ages and abilities, a pet park and refurbishment of existing spaces within the hospital.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.