Tiny uncovered footbridge will almost connect our $5.6bn hospitals

A tiny walkway in plans for the nWCH will supposedly connect it to the RAH – but it won’t be used to transport seriously ill patients and won’t connect the hospitals.

A new footbridge over the rail lines will “connect” the $3.2bn new Women’s and Children’s Hospital with the $2.4bn Royal Adelaide Hospital – but it won’t be used to transport seriously ill patients, won’t be covered, and won’t actually connect the two hospitals.

It will be parallel to an existing footpath on Port Rd and run from a path outside the nWCH to the block of land adjacent the RAH where the nWCH was originally going to be built.

It is expected to be used mainly by staff working between the two hospitals, raising suggestions they use golf buggies or e-scooters.

The footbridge won’t be used to transport seriously ill patients, won’t be covered … and won’t actually connect the two hospitals.

Health Minister Chris Picton confirmed at this stage it would not be enclosed and “we have more work to do” on the final design and location of the 5m wide, 65m long footbridge.

A key reason for the original plan to put the nWCH next to the RAH was so a covered walkway would allow rapid transfer of critically ill women to the RAH adult intensive care unit.

This is not in the new plan, and instead the nWCH will have its own four bed adult ICU, staffed by RAH specialists when needed.

An artist’s impression of the new WCH footbridge.

An artist’s impression of the Women's and Children's Hospital.

WCH Alliance convener Professor Warren Jones said bridge is “not ideal.”

“I urged the minister for it to be covered and to be the shortest direct route between the two hospitals – it is neither,” he said.

“But I hope people don’t get hung up on this as some kind of flashpoint because the big picture is a new hospital for the next century, not a small footbridge.

“Seriously ill women needing transfer to the RAH will go by ambulance and be moved in minutes which will be faster than walking between the hospitals, and certainly faster than this idea of having the nWCH down at the old brewery or Coke sites.”

Prof Jones said staff could potentially use golf buggies to move between the two hospitals across the footbridge.

“The could even use electric scooters,” he said, quipping that “if they fall off at least they will be near a hospital”.