First look at Children’s Hospital expansion

New images reveal how the Royal Children’s Hospital will grow, with waiting times to be slashed and capacity boosted under the expansion project.

Renders of the Royal Children's Hospital expansion.

The landmark Royal Children’s Hospital has begun to grow under an expansion designed to increase capacity, cut waiting times, and offer improved care.

The first images of the $41m first stage of the RCH expansion have been released as works on the upgrade begin.

The first stage of the development will see 30 beds added to the hospital’s fifth floor, all with the capability of catering for young high-dependency patients with a range of illnesses, including cancer, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Upgraded staffrooms, a new canopy at the entrance to the emergency department, and a purpose-built sensory room to provide children and families with a calming space to receive treatment.

The first stage of the development will include 30 new beds able to cater to high-dependency patients.

A sensory room will provide children and families with a calming space to receive treatment.

With more than 300 emergency presentations a day, Health Minister Martin Foley said the additional capacity would improve help the RCH meet increasing paediatric demand.

“These upgrades will make it easier than ever to access services at this world-class facility, providing our youngest Victorians with the best care and support available,” Mr Foley said.

Kane Constructions has been appointed to upgrade the specialist high dependency unit (HDU), while a second stage of the expansion will is set to begin in mid-2022 to deliver a larger emergency department to boost capacity an extra 20 treatment spaces.

When the new RCH was opened in 2011, it had been designed with “shell space” to allow for future expansions, which chief of medicine Tom Connell said was now needed.

“It’s definitely required and has come at the right time,” Associate Professor Connell said.

“We’re seeing more and more patients who require our services and it’s just great that we’re in a position to expand the number of beds so that we can cater to for the children of Victoria.

“It’s going to mean that we’ve got more capacity to deal with an increasing number of children that we’re seeing present to the hospital year on year.”

The redevelopment will also includes features to combat the spread of Covid, such as improvements to ventilation, airconditioning systems, engineering services and heating.