Thousands of Australians living with cystic fibrosis will be able to access a purpose-built ward dedicated to treating and finding a cure for the life-threatening disorder.
The 16-bed facility in Sydney's west is an Australian first in providing highly specialised care for the complex genetic condition.
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NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said people with cystic fibrosis were living longer and needed more services to cater for their care.
"In generations past we were focusing on pediatric care because patients never lived a life long enough for them to be able to really be treated as adults," he told reporters outside the new ward at Westmead Hospital on Monday.
"All that has changed through medical technology, new drugs, new interventions."
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Cystic fibrosis is the most common life-limiting genetic condition affecting Australians with 3600 people impacted each year.
The disease affects the lungs and digestive systems because of a breakdown in the exocrine system, which is responsible for producing saliva, sweat, tears and mucus.
There is no cure and the average life expectancy is 47.
A person with cystic fibrosis will be admitted to hospital on average once a year, requiring a high level of multidisciplinary care from doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and dietitians.
Peter Oxford has been living with the condition for more than 40 years and said the specialist centre would mean patients no longer needed to transfer between departments.
"It (cystic fibrosis) affects all parts of your body," Mr Oxford said.
"You can actually have a lot of ongoing problems with CF, not just respiratory, so having a specialist unit is dealing with all the issues that affect your health."
The specialist ward features state-of-the-art equipment and diagnostic facilities.
A dedicated area will also oversee research and clinical trials.
Westmead Hospital respiratory research director John Wheatley said the specialised unit allowed for exciting new research possibilities.
"We've got capacity to do a small amount of bench-space research but also a lot of clinically based patient research," Professor Wheatley said.
The specialist unit was first proposed under the former Morrison government in 2019 with $65 million in funding.
