As far back as the the 1950’s, the Woy Woy Peninsula, abundant in its natural beauty, has attracted people eager to take up residence, some to raise a family, others to live in graceful retirement.
This growth in population led the local community to come together in 1959 to lobby the State Government and to raise funds for the construction of a hospital that would meet the area’s health care needs. So committed to this task were the community that one local resident offered to donate the whole of his land (Hillview Farm) as a site for the proposed hospital, plus a considerable amount of money towards the building cost.
After a long 12 year struggle for the service by the Woy Woy Hospital Committee, Woy Woy Hospital was finally built in 1971. Covering roughly 162 squares, the hospital was built to accommodate 34 patients in four six-bed wards, two three-bed wards and four single-bed wards.
The first patient, Mr Harold Tucker of Woy Woy Bay, was admitted October 13. The general ward caters for sub acute, post surgery and medical patients.
Despite how it appears today, Woy Woy Hospital's planners built the hospital with an eye to the future … for example, the kitchen was built large enough and equipped with sufficient facilities to cater for 100 patients.
At the rear of the general ward, visitors can even get glimpses of the modern kitchen.
An important feature of the hospital is its engineering services, including hot water, heating, exhaust ventilation and electrical services. State of the art features like a Nurses’ Call System and patient bedside radios were even incorporated into the hospital!
Aesthetics were an important consideration for the hospital planners too. Large trees and native plantings adorn the grounds, while at the main entrance, a delightful pebble garden and miniature fountain have been greatly admired by all visitors to the hospital.
If you think like this (positive), it is apparent that 45 years on, the hospital still plays a key role in the community and in catering to the diverse health care needs of both the Peninsula’s ageing population and the increasing number of young families moving into the area.
With health in mind, Woy Woy Hospital today offers a range of family oriented community services (including antenatal, child and infant health, after hours GP and dental services) as well as a range of rehabilitation and aged care services. Facilities include a 33 bed general unit for sub-acute medical, palliative and post surgical patients and a 30 bed rehabilitation unit, together with a 20 bed transitional care unit for patients who need more time and support in a non-hospital setting to complete their recuperative process. Several outpatient aged care services also operate from the hospital, and a hydrotherapy pool can also be found onsite, catering not just to the physiotherapy needs of the patients, but also to the wider community, including the local Arthritis Association.
Casualty services are, however, no longer provided here and Woy Woy Hospital has NO EMERGENCY department.
