New Women’s and Children’s Hospital back in limbo – no site, just arguments

Forget the ‘new’ in the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital – the government has dumped existing plans, and it doesn’t have a solution.

The planned new Women’s and Children’s Hospital is back in limbo with no site selected as the state government blames the previous government for a huge blowout.

The Advertiser understands a new site announcement is imminent as the government works through choices.

The space next to the Royal Adelaide Hospital has now been dumped as the site, despite medicos being keen for a direct entry to the RAH intensive care unit for mothers in need.

Health Minister Chris Picton cited “clinicians” as saying the planned site adjoining RAH was “not fit for purpose and the hospital size too small for critical services.”

Mr Picton said the proposed hospital would now cost $2.8bn based on a reviewed by three parties — this includes Labor’s $150m promise to deliver 50 additional beds and extra carparking.

The RAH price tag, after a blowout, was put at $2.4bn.

Agencies reviewing the cost were consultants, Rider Levett Bucknall, Lendlease and former NSW Health Infrastructure executive Sam Sangster.

State Health Minister Chris Picton. NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

The government has cited its major review led by former State Coordinator General Jim Hallion, as saying the former government “selected a site that is too small, medically risky and eliminates the possibility of expanding either the RAH or WCH for future generations.

Mr Picton said the original $1.95bn budget for the new WCH now had $700m of extra costs of construction including “increased construction complexity with RAH entrance road, a additional reinforcement and triple glazing for the helipad.”

He said the new costs also factor in “additional hospital construction costs to manage future pandemics” as well as “increased complexity and scope requiring a longer construction timetable and therefore extra escalation costs.

The blowout also blames rising construction costs.

Mr Picton said a significant factor was the requirement for a reconstruction of the roadway to the RAH Emergency Department to fit the “floor plate” of the new WCH – and the costly requirements to minimise impact on the existing major ambulance and patient access road during construction.

An artist impression of now canned ‘new’ Women's and Children's Hospital Adelaide.

Mr Picton said the original site was “short-term thinking”.

“It’s too small, too medically risky and doesn’t leave the opportunity to expand in the future,” he said.

“What’s worse, the former government was going to spend at least $2.8bn for a hospital which was not fit for purpose.

“The new State Government is determined to ensure we do this right the first time, delivering a bigger, better hospital for South Australian children, mothers and babies for generations to come.”

The government is committed to a combined women’s and children’s hospital, and says it wants it in the North Tce health and biomedical precinct.

Originally published as New Women’s and Children’s Hospital back in limbo – no site, just arguments