The State Government has announced plans to build a bigger and better Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) with both it and Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) set up to expand in the future.
Outlined by Premier Peter Malinauskas, a new WCH is to be built on a site encompassing the SAPOL Barracks, which is twice as big as the RAH West site formerly proposed for expansion.
“The previous proposal would have cost $2.8 billion for a hospital which had only one more paediatric overnight bed than the existing WCH and no room to grow in the future,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“The RAH would also lose the opportunity to expand,” he said.
“We want to do this properly the first time and the State Government’s new WCH delivers the best outcome for mothers and their babies for generations to come.”
The Premier said the new WCH would include:
* 56 more beds and built-in capacity for an additional 20 beds, taking the total beds to 414, 76 more than the existing hospital;
* A 24 per cent increase in treatment space, compared with the existing WCH;
* A 4-bed Intensive Care Unit for women, including birthing, theatres, 23-hour ward, Paediatric ICU and Neonatal ICU;
* A direct connection to the parklands and a dedicated heliport with direct access to critical clinical areas, not possible on the previous site; and
* Dedicated sterilisation facilities.
The Premier said the site decision followed a review which evaluated six site options in the biomedical precinct – including the former government’s site – and found the barracks site the most clinically appropriate option while also delivering the best long-term outcome for the RAH and WCH.
Planners say the previously proposed site was landlocked between the RAH, railway tracks and North Terrace which also robbed the WCH of future growth opportunities.
“The site was part of the RAH expansion zone, depriving the RAH of the opportunity to expand,” they said.
Mr Malinauskas said the Government had decided to think for the long-term, with a $3-$3.2 billion investment to deliver a bigger, better WCH, with room to expand in the future.
He said early works were set to commence in 2023, with construction commencing in early 2024, and an anticipated opening date of 2030-31.
He said the State Government would work with SAPOL to move its operations from the barracks site to alternative accommodation.
More information on the hospital plans can be accessed at this PS News link.
