Repatriation General Hospital to be sold to private operators as health precinct

THE Repat hospital site will be sold off and used as a private hospital, nursing home or aged care, with the State Govement ruling out homes or a “Costco or Woolworths” on the precinct.

THE Repatriation General Hospital precinct will be offered to private healthcare operators including private hospitals, aged care and nursing homes.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Acting Health Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith this morning said the site would remain a health precinct and he hoped the name “Repatriation Hospital Precinct” would be retained.

He ruled out selling any of the land for residential or commercial development, saying: “You won’t see a Costco, a Bunnings or a Woolworths on the site, or commercial residential developments.”

Registration of interest are open from today until May 22 and Mr Hamilton-Smith said the Government already had received strong interest from private healthcare operators.

“We have listened and we are taking action today to prepare to preserve the RGH site as a

special place for veterans’ general health and wellbeing,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

“Sale of land at the site for major commercial or residential development was never our

intention and today we categorically rule it out.

“Only health, retirement and supported accommodation related uses are foreseen.”

Mr Hamilton-Smith noted veterans with Gold Cards could access private hospital services for free, including any future private hospital built on the site.

The chapel, museum and remembrance garden, orthotics and Prosthetics SA will remain on

site, along with Flinders University facilities and the ViTA Building.

Acute clinical services now housed at the Repat will be moved to alternative hospital sites in 2017/18.

Rehabilitation services will move to a new, purpose-built 55-bed facility at Flinders Medical Centre.

A new $15 million Centre for Excellence in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder will be established

in metropolitan Adelaide.

Mr Hamilton-Smith favours it being built on the Repat site but will wait for a recommendation from an expert panel, which may prefer it to be part of a full service hospital.

An expert panel will also advise on a new location for the Daw Park Hospice.

“This is the best outcome for veterans and for general community health; new rehabilitation

and acute clinical services at Flinders and other major metropolitan hospitals, while retaining

the Repat site as a health care precinct for years to come,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

“Options could include private rehabilitation, respite care, retirement living, private medical

practices or teaching and academic facilities.

“We have to look for the best model of health care for the next 50 years, not the past 50 years.”

The Government has no estimate on how much income may be generated by selling or leasing the site to private operators.

Mr Hamilton-Smith ruled out allowing any private healthcare operator who bought land at the site to sell it at a later time for commercial or residential developments.

He said proposals from private operators would be evaluated on the basis of benefit to the local community and veterans, and stressed, “the Repat is not being closed — its facilities are being moved and improved while the precinct will be retained as a health and aged-care site.”

A final decision on who uses the site is not expected until next year.

While some of the buildings are suitable for immediate use by private operators, others are expected to be bulldozed.

The SA Opposition called the move “arrogant”, tweeting: “SA Labor Minister Hamilton-Smith has confirmed plans to close the Repat and carve it up like a roast. Arrogant Govt not listening.”