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Overview

Royal North Shore Hospital together with Ryde Hospital form the Royal North Shore and Ryde Health Service.

Established in 1885, RNSH and its associated health services meet the health needs of four local government areas, Mosman, Willoughby, Lane Cove and North Sydney. RNSH is also the major post-graduate teaching and research facility in Northern Sydney Health. RNSH is affiliated with the University of Sydney (Northern Clinical School) and the University of Technology, Sydney (nursing education) and many staff hold conjoint appointments.

RNSH has some state-wide responsibility for clinical services in pain management and research, cardiology, severe burn injury, neonatal intensive care, spinal cord injury, high-risk obstetrics, interventional neuroradiology and cerebrovascular embolisation.

The hospital is one of the state's major trauma centres and provides local and state-wide trauma services for patients suffering multiple traumas. This service is complemented by comprehensive intensive care and diagnostic clinical support services.

Interesting Statistics

Emergency department attendances	42,416
Hospital admissions	46,104
Average number of beds	547
Average length of stay	4.1 days
Births	1,975

Figures from the 2003-2004 financial year.

Future Directions

• Work on the remaining components of the $452 million redevelopment of RNSH and Community Health Services will continue.
• Three hundred and fifty three additional car parking spaces are to be built onto the present multi-storey car park. An extra lift will also be built as part of the extension.
• In 2003 the Executive of Royal North Shore and Ryde Health Service developed a plan, providing direction and guidance for the new organisation to improve the provision of health care through to 2006. The corporate plan outlines 30 objectives and associated strategies to help the sector achieve the organisational goals of Northern Sydney Health. The plan sets out the sector's priorities and is a dynamic document, giving Royal North Shore and Ryde Health Service the flexibility to respond to the needs of staff, patients and the community as well as to changes in health care delivery.