Barwon Investment Partners and Healthe Care Australia confront Canberra’s identified need for private mental health services; Canberra’s only private adolescent mental health beds announced
Barwon Investment Partners (Barwon) and Healthe Care Australia (Healthe Care) today confirmed plans for a centrally-located, private mental health facility in Canberra’s health precinct to address pent up demand for local and accessible private mental health services in the ACT and beyond.
Earmarked to open by mid-2020, ‘The Deakin Clinic’ will occupy a prime site on the corner of Strickland Crescent and Dennison Street, co-located with Deakin’s Calvary John James Memorial Hospital, private and public health services. The project represents a $20m plus investment into the mental health sector in the ACT. Initially the facility will house up to 52 beds and will grow to up to 80 beds over the short to medium term.
It is the 5th healthcare facility under Barwon’s (investment partner) and Healthe Care’s (facility operator) partnership, and benefits from Healthe Care’s expertise as the nation’s second largest private mental health provider (800 beds).
As well as alleviating the city’s identified need for additional mental health services, it will also deliver Canberra’s only dedicated private mental health beds for adolescents – so younger patients can stay local, while close to loved ones for treatment and recovery.
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate approval is underway, with construction to commence in the coming months. On completion The Deakin Clinic will deliver inpatient, day group program and outpatient adult mental health services for high prevalence mood disorders, trauma recovery services; as well as adolescent and young adult mental health intervention and treatment.
Healthe Care Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Steve Atkins confirms the service mix has been carefully considered, in close consultation with the local community, industry representatives and clinicians from the public and private sectors.
“As a private hospital operator of choice, Healthe Care is committed to investing in communities where there is clear demand for private mental health services supported by local clinicians. Our local consultation with clinicians to date suggests strong support for, and demand around adolescent and young adult, general adult mental health and trauma support services.”
“Already, residents of the ACT and beyond are travelling interstate to access similar private mental health services at Healthe Care’s The Hills Clinic (Sydney) and South Coast Private Hospital (Illawarra). Our partnership with Barwon fast-tracks the delivery of critical mental health services, so the people of Canberra and beyond can access treatment close to home, with the necessary support from family and friends while they continue their recovery journey”, said Mr Atkins.
The Deakin Clinic represents the latest addition across Barwon’s two dedicated healthcare property funds which provides specialised care to those suffering from mental health disorders, and joins purpose-built community mental health facilities located in the Adelaide suburbs of Woodville and Tranmere occupied by the Government of South Australia; the Logan Central Community Mental Health Centre operated by the Queensland Government; in addition to Wollongong’s South Coast Private Hospital (also occupied by Healthe Care); and the South Pacific Private Hospital, located in Curl Curl, on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Barwon Partner and Head of Healthcare Property, Tom Patrick said: “Barwon is pleased to strengthen our commitment to the provision of quality care to those in the community dealing with mental health disorders. We have been working closely with the broader community of Canberra along with the mental health community to ensure the service provision design at the new facility meets the needs of Canberra and its surrounding areas. The Deakin Clinic will is a purpose-built facility and with Healthe Care as the operator, we can confidently say we will be providing very high quality care.”
The Canberra announcement follows both parties’ recent sale-and-lease-back transaction of Gosford Private Hospital on the Central Coast, NSW to facilitate plans for a $32m redevelopment to meet the growing healthcare needs of the region.
Minister for Mental Health Shane Rattenbury commented: “Welcome Barwon and Healthe Care to Canberra. We welcome their commitment to delivering high quality mental health care, and look forward to working with them as we collectively seek to address the changing nature of mental health service demand in our community.”
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About Barwon Investment Partners (Barwon)
Barwon’s funds under management in healthcare real estate, at the conclusion of the Gosford Private Hospital acquisition and its expansion, will be approaching $1billion. Barwon also manages the Barwon Healthcare Property Fund, a fund which invests in the primary healthcare sector with a focus on medical centres, pathology and radiology facilities. The Barwon Healthcare Property Fund is open to wholesale investors.
About Healthe Care Australia (Healthe Care)
Healthe Care is a subsidiary of Luye Medical, the healthcare service division of Luye Group. As a leading pan-Asian healthcare services group, the Healthe Care management team continues to work with other Luye Executives to explore growth opportunities across South East Asia and China. The company is the third largest corporate private hospital operator in Australia, and the nation’s second largest private mental health provider (800 beds).
Further information and media enquiries:
BARWON INVESTMENT PARTNERS
Tom Patrick 0429 594 563 or Robert Morrison 0411 150 242
www.barwon.net.au
HEALTHE CARE AUSTRALIA
Michelle Ballard on 0498 988 318 or michelle.ballard@healthecare.com.au