HammondCare has announced a long-term plan to transform Neringah Hospital into a contemporary, integrated health campus.

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 ageing population in Northern Sydney.

The plan will upgrade Neringah Hospital from a facility built in the 1960s into a modern campus that provides palliative care, aged care and seniors living accommodation.

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 & 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, an independent Christian charity, 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,” Dr 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 on site
• 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 is comprised of 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. The adjacent HammondCare Wahroonga aged care service, Wahroonga Stage 1 opened in 2017, will also continue unaffected.

Population projections for the Northern Sydney Local Health District show an increase of up to 200 per cent in residents aged 80 or more by 2036. Accompanying this aging population will be a higher prevalence of chronic disease, prolonged illness duration and complex co-morbities.

HammondCare is inviting community members and interested stakeholders to attend an upcoming information session to learn more about Wahroonga Stage 2 with two online sessions on Tuesday, August 30 from 6pm to 7pm and Thursday, September 1 from midday to 1pm. Please register your attendance by emailing AskWahroonga@hammond.com.au or calling us on 1300 426666,

An informal drop-in community information session will be held at Neringah Hospital site in Wahroonga on Saturday, September 3 from 10am to 1pm.

The Wahroonga Stage 2 vision compliments HammondCare’s commitment to the Greenwich Health Campus project for the Lower North Shore. A Concept State Significant Design was approved for the Greenwich Hospital site in November 2020 for an integrated hospital and residential care building, serviced seniors living, a respite facility, community facilities and basement car parking. Work will begin in 2024, subject to approvals.