A state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool is to be provided for the new University of Canberra Hospital in Bruce when it starts operating in July, and the existing facility at the Canberra Hospital will close.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Meegan Fitzharris said the new hydrotherapy pool would better meet the needs of the ACT community.
“Our pool at the Canberra Hospital has served the community well, but the time has come to replace it with a modern facility,” Ms Fitzharris said.
“It has always been the ACT Government’s intention to fully transition all rehabilitation services throughout Canberra to the new facility in Bruce.”
She said the new hospital would offer patients rehabilitation outside an acute hospital setting, such as Canberra Hospital and Calvary Public Hospital.
“It offers a more therapeutic environment that will promote recovery and encourage activity, independence and autonomy,” Ms Fitzharris said.
“It will feature enhanced access compared to the current facility at Canberra Hospital.”
She said it will have a smoother entry for wheelchair and ambulatory access, flat surrounding surface and hoist, less maintenance downtime and more accurate and stable temperature controls.
The Minister said that bringing all the ACT Health’s rehabilitation staff and facilities together in one place would result in better outcomes for patients.
“Patients will be able to access the hydrotherapy pool, gym and purpose-built therapy courtyards within the same facility,” she said.
“Moving rehabilitation services into the one health facility provides the opportunity to streamline appointments and will save Canberrans from having to travel to various locations across the ACT to access these services.”
Ms Fitzharris said that as part of the operational commissioning of the new hospital, the Government was working to ensure good access to services, such as public transport.
“ACT Health is also working with community organisations and service providers who currently use facilities at Canberra Hospital to ensure the transition of these services for their clients is as seamless as possible,” she said.
