The NSW Government said the redevelopment will provide the majority of emergency, critical care, acute, subacute and non-admitted services locally, reducing the need to transfer patients to Wollongong and Sydney.

Here's what the new seven-storey hospital building will provide:

. A new emergency department (ED) and emergency short-stay unit to improve patient flow and reduce wait times.

. New state-of-the-art intensive care unit (ICU).

. Theatres and endoscopy procedure rooms, doubling capacity.

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. A dedicated cardiology inpatient unit (IPU), coronary care unit and catheterisation lab.

. A new vascular surgery service and expanded orthopaedic, general surgery and urology services.

. Overnight surgical IPUs and a dedicated day surgery unit.

. New medical IPUs for specialties including gastroenterology, respiratory, oncology, endocrinology and general medicine.

. A new acute mental health IPU.

. A psychiatric emergency care centre for emergency and crisis response adjacent to the ED.

. An expanded acute stroke unit collocated with a dedicated rehabilitation service to ensure early access to rehabilitation and minimise functional loss.

. A new nuclear medicine department to support expanded clinical services including cancer, cardiology and respiratory care.

. A new MRI service to provide improved diagnostic capacity.

. Expanded medical imaging including CT, X-ray, ultrasound and mammography to support clinical services the health hub for the entire region.

. Significant increase in aged care capacity in a dedicated ward.

. A sub-acute geriatric evaluation and management service.

. A dedicated palliative care facility.

. A new paediatric assessment unit which will provide additional capacity for day presentations and short-stay admissions.

. A specialist rehabilitation unit for a range of conditions including stroke, orthopaedics, brain and spine injuries.

. Expanded outpatient departments for follow up and management of admitted and non-admitted services.

. Helipad on top of the new building with direct access to ICU and ED.

A State Significant Development Application submission is expected to be lodged by mid-year with tenders for the project expected to be called in late 2022.

The government says throughout the process there will be other opportunities for community and stakeholder engagement, including specific sessions for the indigenous community.

Construction is scheduled to start in early 2023, and be completed by 2026.

While construction is underway, the current hospital will continue to function as normal.

Once construction is completed the various services will be relocated in stages to the new building.

It is also planned for the current hospital to also undergo a major refurbishment.

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