Labor leader Anthony Albanese and Premier Peter Malinauskas promise $400m upgrade of Flinders Medical Centre

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has joined Premier Peter Malinauskas with a $400m pledge to expand the Flinders Medical Centre if he wins the election.

Flinders Medical Centre would be massively expanded with more than 100 extra beds, a bigger intensive care unit and new operating theatres under a $400m promise made by Labor leader Anthony Albanese.

The state government would fund half of the investment, sending a pointed message to the Coalition, which has been locked in bitter stoushes with state premiers over public hospital funding.

Mr Albanese and Premier Peter Malinauskas will make the announcement together in Adelaide on Monday, promising to boost the hospital’s capacity and tackle the state’s ramping crisis if Labor wins the May 21 federal election.

Labor says it will be the only “major hospital capital improvement” to be promised so far during this federal election campaign.

“I want to partner with Peter Malinauskas to give people in southern Adelaide the medical care they deserve,” Mr Albanese told The Advertiser.

“Over a decade in office, (Prime Minister) Scott Morrison has failed to invest in the future of the Flinders Medical Centre or help SA fix its unprecedented ramping crisis.”

Labor leader Anthony Albanese will promise a $400m upgrade of the FMC, split 50-50 with the state government if elected on May 21. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Albanese said the election was “a choice between more of the same, and a better future”.

The Advertiser understands more than 100 extra beds would be added to the Flinders Medical Centre at Bedford Park – in the state’s only marginal seat of Boothby.

It’s also understood an expansion of the hospital’s intensive care unit and building new, modern operating theatres – boosting capacity for elective and emergency surgery – would be major parts of the $400m investment.

Much of the 46-year-old hospital’s ageing and outdated infrastructure would also be refurbished.

The new beds would be in addition to the extra 300 that Mr Malinauskas promised to open across SA’s health system in one of his key state election commitments.

Mr Malinauskas said he was determined to fix the state’s ramping crisis, and the investment would “dramatically reduce” pressure on the city’s entire hospital network.

“This is the partnership we need to reduce ramping and ensure Flinders is well equipped to deliver high-quality care,” he said.

“This represents the first major stage of a generational investment needed to replace the ageing infrastructure at Flinders Medical Centre.”

An $8.5m expansion of the hospital’s emergency department opened last August.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said he was determined to fix the ramping crisis. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

The Flinders Medical Centre would be upgraded with a $400m state-federal investment if Labor is elected on May 21.

The $400m election promise comes just a week after Mr Albanese vowed to negotiate with state premiers on their demands for a 50-50 split with the Commonwealth for public hospital funding, if he became prime minister.

It is an age-old battle that has again flared up during this federal election campaign, with the Australian Medical Association estimating the move would cost the federal government about $20.5bn over four years.

Mr Morrison has rebuffed recent attempts to split funding for hospital upgrades between state and federal governments.

“What we’re talking about is just the Commonwealth paying more and the state government paying less,” Mr Morrison said.

The development comes 15 years after the Howard government’s controversial takeover of the Mersey Community Hospital in Latrobe, Tasmania, became a major issue during the 2007 federal election campaign.

The hospital was eventually returned to state hands under former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2017.

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