Chatswood Community Health Centre

Last updated: 25 March 2009

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• The project is currently awaiting development application approval by Willoughby Council. Once approved, this will be followed by a tender process to construct the new facility.
• Planned delivery date 2010.

About the project

A new community health centre for Chatswood, with the capacity to provide more services and more health choices for patients, is one step closer with the submission of plans for the new $3.6 million facility now awaiting Council approval.

The project will provide easily accessible facilities for children, adults, families and groups in a new, purpose-built centre, close to the heart of Chatswood.

The new centre will allow health professionals to continue to deliver the most frequently used community health services close to where people live and work, including baby and child health services, children's speech pathology, diabetes education and community mental health services.

The new building will provide a comfortable and welcoming environment for patients and families, and safer, better-designed facilities for staff.

Currently, only child and family health, frail aged day care and the Westview service are being delivered from the Chatswood site; all other community adult mental health services are being provided from the RNSH campus.

The new centre will accommodate a range of services including:

• Baby health and early childhood care
• Paediatric speech pathology and occupational therapy
• Adult and child & adolescent community mental health services
• Aged care health services
• Community Drug & Alcohol services
• Counselling
• Midwives clinic for low-risk antenatal care
• Diabetes education
• Sexual health services
• Health promotion.

The centre has also been designed to accommodate other health care services - such as general practice - in the future.

The project is expected to be completed before 2012.

Frequently asked questions

What will the new centre look like?

The Chatswood Community health Centre will be a single-storey facility spanning two street frontages with a single public entry on Hercules St and parking for staff and visitors on Olga St.

At the entry point, patients will be directed either to the Early Childhood Centre or the clinical area.

The Early Childhood Centre will have a waiting room, accessible toilet, three consulting rooms and a baby feeding room. Group activities will be held in the group rooms in the clinical area.

The clinical area includes three group rooms of varying sizes for up to 35 clients, two treatment rooms for clinical examinations and eight interview rooms for services such as family and group interviews, counselling and individual client sessions.

The group rooms face onto a large, north-facing landscaped courtyard that will provide light, views and break-out space. A second courtyard will provide outdoor space for children.

The centre has been designed to accommodate a general practice service in the future.

What staff will be based at the Centre?

The Early Childhood staff and administration/reception staff will be based at Chatswood Community Health Centre. Other health workers will not be based at Chatswood - they will be based in the new community health precinct at St Leonards where they can share facilities and resources, but they will continue to deliver services at Chatswood and other community locations.

How will community mental health services work if staff are not based there?

Community mental health staff will book sessions either on an individual basis or block out a morning or afternoon or the whole day in order to see consumers in the Chatswood Community Health Centre.

Will I be able to see my community mental health case manager at the centre and at other times if I choose at the Community Health Building at Royal North Shore?

Yes. This significantly improves choice and access to services for consumers.

Where will my medical record be kept if I alternate locations where I see my community mental health case manager?

All health services are moving rapidly towards an electronic medical record. Most GPs already have this in place as standard practice. This means that when you see your case manager or doctor, they can update your medical record there and then. Electronic medical records are secure and private.

What happens if I need urgent help? Will there be a community mental health staff member that I can see immediately if I go to the Chatswood Community Health Centre?

Community mental health staff will be available for urgent response as is current practice. During office hours, the reception staff will contact the appropriate community mental health team and inform them.

There is no change to after-hours services. The after hours service can be contacted via the RNSH Switchboard on 9926 7111.

Will people who "walk in" from the street seeking community mental health assistance be able to see a community mental health staff member for help and advice?

It is important that care, in whatever form, is provided in a timely manner. The reception staff will refer walk-in clients to the Community Mental Health Extended Hours Team who will then take over, provide any information required and co-ordinate the appropriate response.

Will the Westview service, including the drop-in centre, operate from the new facility?

Community mental health consumer programs, such as those currently delivered at Westview, will be continue to be delivered in a variety of ways, either from the Chatswood Community Health Centre, the Community Health Building at Royal North Shore Hospital, or from local council facilities like the neighbourhood centres.

The current Westview service at Chatswood includes a community mental health drop-in service. In the future, the permanent replacement for this component will be available at the Community Health Building on the Royal North Shore Hospital campus at St Leonards. This facility will have a welcoming street frontage on Herbert Street, discrete entry for community mental health clients and dedicated indoor and outdoor consumer facilities for clinical and non-clinical group use.

The Chatswood Community health facility will also have a number of group rooms which will be available for consumer groups to book as required.

What are the opening hours?

The Chatswood Community Health Centre will operate between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday. The centre will also run evening and weekend sessions on a needs basis to meet service demands. Individual appointments and group sessions will primarily take place during business hours, Monday to Friday. In the evenings, the facility will be used mainly for educational and group programs such as Early Childhood parenting programs, Child and Adolescent groups etc.