newy.com.au – NSW Health Infrastructure will engage an independent consultant to conduct a full building condition assessment of the Calvary Mater Newcastle facility, with on-site investigations due to begin next month.
The NSW Government says the work is aimed at identifying what remediation is needed to address building condition issues at the hospital, including mould, after staff raised concerns about previous work.
In a statement on Thursday, Minister for Health Ryan Park said the assessment would be commissioned separately from the existing public-private partnership responsible for facilities management at the site.
The review will start with a detailed audit of the hospital’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, before broader investigations are carried out across the facility.
NSW Health Infrastructure said the investigation would also check areas where remediation work had previously been completed on site as part of the condition assessment.
Park said staff had been raising issues about the standard of earlier works. “Staff have consistently raised with me their concerns about previous work carried out by the facilities management contractor,” he said.
“This independent review responds directly to those concerns,” Park said, adding the process would take time but would inform a clearer pathway for repairs.
“While this will not be a quick process, it will provide clarity on what needs to be done and allow a clear plan to be developed to ensure the necessary work is completed to an appropriate standard,” he said.
NSW Health Infrastructure expects the full building audit report to be completed later this year.
