Mona Vale Hospital

Mona Vale Hospital is located in the suburb of Mona Vale, on the Northern Beaches of metropolitan Sydney, Australia. It is a public hospital managed by New South Wales Health, and part of the Northern Sydney Local Health District.[1]

Mona Vale Hospital, viewed from the adjacent Mona Vale Golf Course, pre-2021.
Demolition works on the site of the former Mona Vale hospital, June 2021
Mona Vale Hospital
Northern Sydney Local Health District
Mona Vale Hospital's Beachside Rehabilitation Centre, opened in 2014.
Geography
LocationMona Vale, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates33.6855°S 151.3067°E / -33.6855; 151.3067
Organisation
Care systemPublic Medicare (AU)
TypeDistrict General
Affiliated universityUniversity of Sydney
Services
Helipads
Helipad(ICAO: YXMV)
Number Length Surface
ft m
1 concrete
History
Opened1964
Links
WebsiteOfficial Website
ListsHospitals in Australia

The hospital was incorporated on 21 November 1958 under the Public Hospitals Act 1929,[2] and opened on 22 February 1964 by the then Minister for Health, the Hon. William Francis Sheahan.[3] It initially accommodated 152 inpatients, with acute specialty services in Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care, General Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Medicine, General Paediatrics, Geriatrics, Rehabilitation and Palliative Care. The Accident and Emergency department opened shortly thereafter, on 23 March 1964. Finally, in 1975, a 43-bed Paediatric Unit was opened on Level 6, replacing a staff canteen.[4]

In October 2018 the majority of acute specialty services were transferred to the newly built, semi-private Northern Beaches Hospital. As a result, Mona Vale Hospital was redeveloped to include a range of sub-acute inpatient services, including geriatric, rehabilitation and palliative Care, as well as the establishment of an outpatient community health centre for allied health and nursing reviews.[5] The hospital features a 24-hour urgent care centre equivalent to a level one emergency department.

A February 2020 report into the poor performance of the Northern Beaches Hospital recommended restoring the status of Mona Vale Hospital to a “Level Three” emergency department but this was rejected by the NSW Government.[6]

In September 2020 the NSW Government confirmed its plans to demolish the main hospital building because it contained asbestos, despite significant local opposition.[7] Demolition works began in 2021 and by May 2021 the main hospital building had been completely removed.

Urgent Care Centre

In 2019 the hospital's former Emergency Department was re-purposed into a 24-hour Urgent Care Centre, intended to assess and treat minor illnesses and injuries on an outpatient basis. It was staffed by experienced medical practitioners with backgrounds in emergency medicine and/or general practice, who work alongside registered nurses and physiotherapists. Additionally, there are pathology and X-ray services available on-site during extended daytime hours.[8] Patients at Mona Vale Hospital requiring further medical assessment and/or a higher level of care are traditionally transferred via ambulance to Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney Children's Hospital or Northern Beaches Hospital. Since its opening in October 2018, the urgent care centre sees an average of about 50 to 80 patients daily, with about 6% of them requiring onwards transfer to other facilities.[9]

Mona Vale Urgent Care Centre c.2019, Mona Vale, NSW, Australia
Mona Vale Urgent Care Centre c.2019, Mona Vale, NSW, Australia

See also

References
  1. "Mona Vale Hospital". www.nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  2. "Mona Vale Hospital". www.records.nsw.gov.au. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  3. "The Hon. William Francis Sheahan, QC (1895-1975)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  4. "Pittwater Online News". www.pittwateronlinenews.com. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  5. "Mona Vale Hospital - Future Healthcare Services | NSLHD". www.nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  6. "Report takes scalpel to public-private deal". The Daily Telegraph. 28 February 2020. p. 2.
  7. Cross, Julie (1 September 2020). "Fury as government goes ahead with hospital demolition". Manly Daily.
  8. "Mona Vale Hospital Urgent Care Centre | NSLHD". www.nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  9. "Pittwater Online News". www.pittwateronlinenews.com. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
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