A vision for 21^st century healthcare: The Vice-Chancellor is joined at a press conference on Friday by Minister of Health, The Hon. Brad Hazzard MP; Member for Ryde The Hon. Victor Dominello MP; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Medicine and Health) Professor Patrick O’Neil and CEO of the Northern Sydney Local Health District Deb Willcox.

As announced to staff by the Vice-Chancellor on Thursday 10 December, the New South Wales Government is currently considering a proposal to build the $479 million new Ryde Hospital at Macquarie University.

Co-locating the public hospital with our own Macquarie University Hospital would bring multiple potential benefits to both patients and the local community – in accordance with our purpose as a University of service and engagement – while delivering a number of benefits to Macquarie students and staff.

The new Hospital would be wholly publicly owned and operated by the Northern Sydney Local Health District, with construction of the hospital funded by the NSW Government.

With the Government intent on building a “smart” community hospital that delivers cutting-edge patient-focused healthcare, Macquarie is well placed to bring innovative solutions to both the design and ongoing operation of the hospital.

The proposed location would create strong teaching and research links between the University and the Northern Sydney Local Health District, giving our medical and health professions students a technologically-advanced and close-by teaching environment, and creating strong opportunities for educational partnerships across the University.

The colocation would also allow the Hospital and the University to collaborate on medical and health services research, as well as clinical trials, in the University’s areas of research strength such as motor neurone disease (MND), dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hearing, and health systems.

^{The Minister and Member for Ryde met with some of the University’s research staff, whose work could help shape best-practice clinical care at the proposed hospital.}

The Vice-Chancellor says the proposal is a major opportunity for Macquarie.

“Co-location is key to the evolving future of healthcare systems,” he says. “My hope is that this will allow us to engage with public sector healthcare as we work to build a sustainable university for the future.”

The proposal is among several options currently being considered by NSW Health for the future of Ryde Hospital. Further consultation with hospital staff, the local community and the University is expected over coming months.