Calvary Public Hospital in Bruce is to be replaced by a new Government-owned and operated hospital on the same site.
The announcement by Chief Minister Andrew Barr followed a breakdown in negotiations between the ACT and Calvary Health Care.
“The Government negotiated with Calvary Health Care for many months to find an agreed path forward,” Mr Barr said.
“However, these negotiations were not successful in delivering an outcome consistent with the evolving needs of the ACT community.”
He said the Government had introduced a Bill which, if passed, would enable it to acquire the Calvary Public Hospital land, and transition existing Calvary staff and assets to the Territory.
Mr Barr said the new Territory-owned northside hospital was planned to be operated by Canberra Health Services.
“A provision of more than $1 billion will be included in the 2023‑24 Budget to deliver the new northside hospital, in line with the Government’s 2020 election commitment that construction of a new northside hospital will commence mid-decade,” Mr Barr said
“A transition team has been established to coordinate and implement the smooth transfer of hospital care at the Bruce public hospital from Calvary Health Care ACT to Canberra Health Services on 3 July 2023, ahead of construction commencing on the new hospital mid-decade.”
Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith said consolidating the ACT’s public hospitals to create a single network would allow Government to better coordinate health services, distribute resources effectively, strengthen the capacity of the workforce, plan infrastructure on a Territory-wide basis, and improve health outcomes for all Canberrans.
“Calvary has played an important role in the delivery of public hospital care for generations of Canberrans over the last 44 years,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“I want to thank all Calvary Public Hospital staff, past and present, for their dedication to helping Canberrans in times of need,” she said.
“We know this will be a stressful time for Calvary staff and we are committed to supporting them through this transition and providing as much certainty as possible.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said the vast majority of Calvary staff would continue doing the jobs they do today with their current teams.
“I encourage anyone working at Calvary Public Hospital to contact our dedicated transition team on (02) 5124 0400 for further support,” she said.
