The New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia said that construction of the A$540m ($381m) Westmead Centre for Mental Health has reached its peak, marking a significant stage in the development of the state's largest mental health facility.
A topping out ceremony was held to commemorate the progress on the ten-storey building, which is being built within the Westmead Health Precinct in Western Sydney.
The new centre is intended to address increasing demand for mental health care in the region by unifying current mental health services under one roof.
It is designed to integrate with Westmead Hospital and the surrounding Westmead Health Precinct via a link bridge, which will assist staff and visitors moving between buildings.
The facility will eventually allow the relocation of inpatient and outpatient services from Cumberland Hospital to Westmead upon completion.
When operational, the building will provide beds for a range of patients, including youth, adults, adolescents, older persons and those living with eating disorders.
It will also contain mental health intensive care and high dependency units, a mental health assessment area, sub-acute and non-acute beds, and multidisciplinary ambulatory and outpatient services.
Around 440 workers are currently on site each day during construction, with peak activity forecast to increase the workforce to approximately 500.
Ongoing work includes concrete pouring and installation of building services, with the main construction expected to finish in 2027.
Western Sydney Local Health District is partnering in the delivery of the centre, with Richard Crookes Constructions serving as the main contractor.
As preparations continue, staff and service users are participating in operational transition activities aimed at familiarising them with the facility's layout and design, the NSW government said.
The facility's scope aligns with state and national mental health reform objectives and is intended to support what the project calls "safe, dignified, trauma-informed and recovery-focused care".
Existing mental health services at Cumberland Hospital will continue until the new centre is complete. Planning for the shift of these services to Westmead is under way.
The project also aims to improve service integration and environmental sustainability across the precinct.
Earlier this month, the NSW government began work on a multi-storey car park as part of the A$630m ($444m) Fairfield Hospital redevelopment in Sydney.
"Construction milestone reached for NSW's Westmead mental health centre" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand.