Maitland community health services to move to High Street site

newy.com.au – Maitland’s community health services will move into a refurbished building in the town centre after the NSW Government bought a site at 525 High Street for a new $22 million facility.

The Maitland Community Health facility will bring a range of services into a central location, with the existing two-storey building to be upgraded to provide a modern and welcoming environment for staff, patients and the community.

Services to be relocated from the former Maitland Hospital site include adult, older person, child and adolescent community mental health services, sexual assault services and palliative care services. Community health and community mental health services will continue operating from the former hospital while the refurbishment is carried out.

Planning and design work is under way, with a builder expected to be appointed later this year. The government says the refurbishment timetable will be confirmed once that appointment has been made.

The High Street site will include on-site parking for staff and the community and is close to shops and transport routes. East Maitland Community Health Centre will not be relocated as part of the project.

Regional Health Minister Ryan Park said the site purchase was a significant step for the project.

“This milestone means we are one step closer to delivering centralised and more accessible health care to the Maitland community,” he said.

“The new location will be refurbished into a contemporary facility that will support world-class care and provide a safe, welcoming environment for all.”

Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said bringing services together in one place would make access easier for people across the region.

“We know health care only works when people can actually get to it, and that’s why bringing services together in one place matters so much for the Hunter community,” she said.

Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson said the project would strengthen community-based care.

“This project is exactly the kind of investment we need more of in mental health care – local, community-based services that meet people where they are and provide support before people reach crisis point,” she said.

Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison said community health services would remain available at the former Maitland Hospital until the new building was completed.

“I’m delighted to see community health services in Maitland will soon be delivered from an easily accessible and modern health facility,” she said.