NEWSLETTER

Rouse Hill Hospital

This month, we give an update on our recent community information sessions, working with Country at Rouse Hill Hospital event with local Dharug representatives, in addition to feedback from our consumers and multicultural representatives.

Thank you to everyone who came to our recent community information sessions for the new Rouse Hill Hospital. 

More than 350 people attended, providing valuable feedback to the project team.    

The sessions were held across Blacktown and The Hills Shire Local Government Areas including at Castle Towers, Rouse Hill Boutique Markets and Vinegar Hill Memorial Library in Rouse Hill Town Centre and Schofields, as well as Westmead and Blacktown Hospitals.  

The sessions provided community members and hospital staff a forum to learn about plans for the new hospital, ask the project team questions and provide feedback as the design phase for the project progresses.   

We heard great interest in the delivery of the new hospital and its services closer to home, local job opportunities, the location of the new hospital close to the Rouse Hill Town Centre and new metro, and opportunities for design of indoor and outdoor spaces.  

We would like to thank everyone who completed the online survey. We received over 500 submissions. This feedback will be considered as part of the Social Impact Assessment for the Rouse Hill Hospital project, which will assess potential social impacts and benefits from constructing and operating the hospital.  

These sessions are part of the ongoing consultation for the Rouse Hill Hospital which has also included briefings and engagement sessions with multicultural groups, neighbours, local businesses, councils and state government agencies.  

We held a working with Country session for Rouse Hill Hospital at the Vinegar Hill Memorial Community Centre in Rouse Hill on 26 September. 

The event was facilitated by Julie Jones Webb, a proud Dharug woman and Traditional Custodian and Knowledge Keeper from multiple fresh and saltwater clans. 

The session provided an opportunity for the local Dharug representatives to communicate directly with the project team and share the significance of Country, history, and the best ways to work together to get the best outcomes for the new Rouse Hill Hospital.

Our Consumer Reference Group met in September and provided feedback on what’s important to be considered in the design of the new hospital’s Front of House and Emergency Department wait areas. The group highlighted the importance of clear signage, a reception that is visible while also respecting patient confidentiality, access, and security. The group also noted the potential for assistance with wayfinding. 

Feedback provided by consumers is integral in the formation of our models of care and provision of services and spaces within the hospital.  

We would like to thank the members of our Consumer Reference Group who continue to generously share their time and personal experiences to help us shape the future of the new Rouse Hill Hospital.  

To ensure the new hospital can best support people of all backgrounds, we recently engaged with Western Sydney Local Health District staff and local community group multicultural representatives. 

Some items the group highlighted included interpreter services, wayfinding, building trust for people with limited literacy and proficiency in English and the importance of ‘personal touch’.  

The feedback from the multicultural engagement session has been passed on to the project team for consideration during the hospital’s design process. 

For more information about Rouse Hill Hospital, visit:

rousehillhospital.health.nsw.gov.au or contact the team at rousehillhospital@health.nsw.gov.au