Hills Clinic $50m Plan
By Bev Jordan
The Hills Clinic at Kellyville is set to double in size following the purchase of land adjacent to the mental health hospital at the corner of McCausland Place and Memorial Ave.
The official announcement of the purchase was made on Wednesday (February 9th) by NorthWest Healthcare Properties Management and paves the way for a $50million expansion of The Hills Clinic which is operated by Aurora Healthcare Australia.
The planned two-storey building on the site will double the capacity of the existing 85-bed facility and provide additional beds and group therapy rooms. The proposed development will also comprise a ~120 bay basement carpark, consolidated with the existing hospital.
The move has been made to meet growing demand for mental health services. The Hills Clinic specialises in treating young patients.
Aurora Chief Executive Officer Australia, Julia Strickland-Bellamy said: “Demand for mental health services in this region has been growing at an increasing rate.
“This pressing need for expanded treatment options for Sydney’s Hills community has, today, further extended our partnership with NorthWest’s Vital Healthcare Property Trust. The Hills Clinic is a highly successful mental health service model; it attracts patients from across Australia due to its specialised treatment for young adults.
This expansion enables The Hills Clinic to further broaden its specialised mental health services for our existing patient population, while introducing new treatment offerings to meet demand. Young adults will remain a key part of our expanded service while eating disorders, PTSD for first responders, trauma and addictions are all under consideration.”
NorthWest is consulting with Hills Shire Council officers and will commence the process for development approval as soon as possible.
Development is planned to commence in 2023 and be completed within a 15 month timeframe. It is hoped to welcome the first patients by late 2024.
NorthWest Executive Director, Portfolio, Richard Roos said: “We are thrilled to acquire such an important development site, adjacent to one of our existing hospitals – The Hills Clinic – and extend our partnership with Aurora Healthcare, who we have worked with to establish this clinic as a highly regarded mental health facility.
“The provision of high-quality treatment facilities for mental health patients is increasingly critical in our community, and mental health is a materially under-serviced part of the Australian healthcare industry.
“The effects of the pandemic and associated lockdowns have further exacerbated the demand for mental health treatment.”
Last year the number of beds at The Hills Clinic were increased by 44%, up to 85 in-patient beds.
Mr Roos said the new development would increase capacity again “furthering our strong commitment to increasing Australians’ access to mental health” services.
“Across Australia, we have over $80 million invested in mental health projects currently under construction or planning. We are focused on maintaining a strong development pipeline with strategic sites such as this one in Kellyville, which represents the last remaining land available for expansion of the existing The Hills Clinic mental health hospital.”
Aurora Healthcare is the nation’s largest speciality private mental health provider with 1,000 beds across 16 facilities. The Hills Clinic was established in 2011 and was the first purpose-built private hospital clinic in NSW.
