Design team appointed for new paediatric hospice at Westmead
Planning for the state’s second dedicated paediatric hospice is moving ahead with a design team appointed for the new facility, to be built at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
The project will deliver a home-like environment to support children and young people with life-limiting illnesses, as well as their families.
The NSW Government is investing $22.3 million in the new hospice, which will be known as Mounties Care Cottage. Mounties Group is also contributing $13 million over 10 years through the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation to help deliver the facility.
The design team includes RP Infrastructure Pty Ltd (Project Manager), Billard Leece Partners Pty Ltd (Architect) and Arup (Engineer), appointed following a competitive tender process.
Over the coming months, the team will work with Health Infrastructure, the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and consumers to identify key service priorities and shape the planning process.
The hospice is inspired by the story of Sydney boy, Rio Fowler, and the work of Rio’s Legacy. Diagnosed at 16 months with arterial vasculopathy disease, Rio and his family received care at Bear Cottage, the state’s first paediatric hospice, before he passed away in 2018. His parents, Ryan and Karen, later founded Rio’s Legacy, a charity advocating for services supporting children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
The new facility will provide spaces for children and families to connect, rest and receive specialised care, with direct private access to play areas and outdoor gardens.
Construction timeframes will be confirmed following completion of planning and the appointment of a builder.
Mounties Care Cottage will build on the care and support already provided by the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, ensuring more families across NSW have access to essential end-of-life and respite services in Western Sydney.