A new health facility complex at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst is one step closer with a development application from the University presently being assessed by Bathurst Regional Council (BRC).

The $8.3 million project, which supports the University’s bid to establish a new rural medical school, will consist of over 30 rooms with state-of-the-art technical amenities for student education and professional clinical services delivery.

The Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU, Professor Andrew Vann, said, "The facility will deliver a significant expansion of health services to our communities, and provide an important inter-professional training facility for our health and nursing students.

“In addition, while many people are talking about the shortage of rural doctors, this facility is a practical demonstration of Charles Sturt University trying to do something about that shortage. It is central to the University’s ambition to train a new generation of doctors and allied health professionals in an inter-disciplinary context designed to meet the rural health needs of the future.”

Mr Stephen Butt, Executive Director of the CSU Division of Facilities Management, said, “Planning for the health facility project is well advanced, and following BRC approval, the University will call for tenders for construction before year’s end, with the aim to start construction early in 2013.”

The CSU development application is for the construction of a health services facility to be located within the Community Engagement and Wellness Precinct near the new dental clinic at the front of the University campus, off Panorama Avenue in Bathurst. It will include:

nine allied health clinics to be used by University students treating patients in the fields of physiotherapy, podiatry, rehabilitation, nursing, occupational therapy, sports science and human movement;

two group rooms for University students treating patients in the fields of psychology, speech pathology, nutrition and dietetics;

Women's Wellness Clinic for University nursing and midwifery students specialising in women's health issues to treat patients;

four allied health clinics for the use of private physiotherapy providers;

specialist rooms including testing clinic, biomechanics clinic, client kitchen and gym to be used by students and professional clinicians treating patients in the facility;

eight GP clinics for doctors to treat patients;

a multi-purpose room for community education programs;

a simulation suite;

two retail tenancies, including one as a wellness café; and a sealed car park.

This project was possible due to funding made available by Health Workforce Australia. It was announced in the 2012 federal Budget in May and welcomed by the University at the time. Read more here.