Shellharbour Hospital was officially opened in January 1986 and is located 24km south of Wollongong in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Local Health District. The hospital is a busy acute care facility which provides emergency services, elective surgical services, general medical, antenatal and primary family health care, satellite renal dialysis and adolescent and adult mental health services on site. It is an accredited health care facility with the Australian Council on Health Care Standards (ACHS) and is recognised as providing a high standard of care to the community. Shellharbour Hospital (Class C1) is a 197 bed facility providing a comprehensive range of inpatient, outpatient and community-based services. The inpatient services include aged care, medical, surgical, mental health and acute medical assessment inpatient beds, plus a Day surgery Unit. The operating suite performs mainly low risk general, laparoscopic, gynaecological, ophthalmic, dental and minor orthopaedic surgery. Outpatients services include: Infectious Diseases Clinic, Dental, Renal, Pre admission and anaesthetic, Cardiology Clinic (including stress testing), Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy Clinic, Speech Pathology, Respiratory Clinic, General Surgery Clinic, Antenatal Clinic, Geriatric Clinic, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Asthma Clinic, Plastics Clinic, Diabetes Clinic. Shellharbour Hospital plays a role in the Northern Illawarra Hospitals Group Bed Management Policy by providing services and support to the other hospitals in the hub to enhance patient flow. This hospital is fully accredited by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS).