Celebrations for Bulli Hospital’s 125th anniversary, as closure draws near

WITH the countdown on for the closing of the original Bulli Hospital, preparations are well-underway to celebrate its 125 years of service.

To help celebrate the 125 years and the closure of the original building, the Bulli Hospital Auxiliary is inviting past and present staff, volunteers, patients and people who were born at the hospital, to a dinner on Saturday March 30 at 7pm at the Woonona Bulli RSL Club.

Tickets can be bought for $60 from Woonona Bulli RSL Club, or Bulli Hospital. For table bookings phone John Andrews on 0410735056.

A book, ‘125 wonderful years of service from Bulli District Hospital’, will also be launched.

The celebration comes as the new 60-bed aged-care unit nears completion and an end of an era draws closer.

The new facilities for Bulli Hospital encompass new buildings that will be interlinked to the 60-bed aged-care inpatient unit and car parking on the northern side of Hospital Road. The new buildings will replace the existing hospital on the southern side of Hospital Road.

The NSW Department of Planning’s David Gainsford said the project will deliver modern public health facilities integrated with aged care housing, designed to meet the needs of the region and the ageing population.

“The facilities provide further investment in regional public infrastructure and will create 43 new employment opportunities during the construction and operational stages,” he said.

The $50.4 million Bulli Aged Care Centre of Excellence is an innovative collaboration between Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District and the Illawarra Retirement Trust (IRT).

An artist impression of the new Bulli Hospital

The new Aged Centre of Excellence will deliver:

* 60 aged care beds managed by Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District

* 60 residential care suites managed by IRT

* An Urgent Primary Care Centre that will continue to provide medical services for Northern Illawarra residents and visitors who present with minor illnesses and injuries between the hours of 7am and 10pm.

* Ambulatory care services including medical, nursing and allied health outpatient services on site clinical support services including medical imaging, pathology and pharmacy

* A range of non-clinical support services including food and nutrition, cleaning and asset maintenance.