More than 40,000 patients have been admitted to the Crown Street hospital since it opened its doors in January 2016, and its operating theatres are now at capacity.

Hospital CEO David Crowe said the new day surgery will include an operating theatre, endoscopy suite and a separate cardiac catheter lab, as well as recovery, waiting and reception areas.

“We’re already at capacity which goes to show Wollongong needed a private hospital of this calibre, which has attracted lots of new patients and surgeons and this will help accommodate them,” Mr Crowe said.

Currently day surgery procedures are conducted in the main operating theatres on Level 1. By creating a standalone day surgery on Level 5, it will allow the hospital to cater for 5000 day surgery patients a year.

Moving day patients will also free up the main theatres, allowing an additional 1000 overnight patients to undergo more complex procedures such as vascular surgery and neurosurgery.

That’s good news for Illawarra patients, more of whom can undergo procedures closer to home – and it will mean additional opportunities for staff and surgeons.

Mr Crowe said the day surgery would be ready for high-turnover procedures including opthamology, gastroenterology, dental and minor orthopaedic surgery by February 2019. 

Cardiology procedures would also then be moved to the separate lab.

The new project would also benefit from Ramsay Healthcare’s push to bring services into the digital age.

That includes patient tracking systems which will allow relatives to check the progress of a patient’s surgery, and get an accurate pick-up time.

Technology won’t replace personalised service however, with a day surgery ‘concierge’ to help patients through the admission process.

“It’s about enhancing the patient’s experience, and making it more seamless,” Mr Crowe said, “so patients only have to give out their details once to their GP, and that is transferred to their specialist and through the admissions process.

“The tracking process will start prior to admission so patients get to the hospital on time, and don’t have extended waiting times. And the concierge will be there to meet and greet and walk them through the process.”

Future growth has also been catered for, with the addition of a second catheter lab shell and third operating theatre shell integrated into the design of the new day surgery.