Nepean Hospital's $1bn fast-tracked redevelopment begins

A $1 billion redevelopment of the under pressure Nepean Hospital in Sydney's western suburbs is being fast-tracked, with the first slab of concrete being poured on the project. 

The new multi-storey carpark is the first part of the upgrade underway, which will feature 600 spaces and a helipad. 

The two stage project will also include a brand new emergency department, more than 200 extra beds, neonatal services and a new cancer clinic with 15 chemotherapy beds. 

The most recent quarterly report by the Bureau of Health Information saw 46 percent of patients waiting more than four hours to be seen by a doctor in the hospital's Emergency Department. 

The average waiting time is for elective surgery is 226 days. 

"We have just run out of space," Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said. 

"The band-aids on Nepean Hospital are over, this is about making sure we build the hospital properly and for the future." 

The Stage 1 tower is expected to open in 2021, with the full redevelopment to be completed in 2024.