Launceston General Hospital aircon: $4m upgrade by end of 2023

The Health Department has allocated $4m from a Tasmanian hospital's 10-year, $580m redevelopment budget towards fixing the facility's out-of-date and ailing airconditioning system. The issues were revealed in a leaked email by the hospital's CEO.

Launceston General Hospital. Picture: Department of Health

Eight chiller units within the Launceston General Hospital’s airconditioning system will be progressively replaced by the end of the calendar year as part of a $4m allocation from funds earmarked for the hospital’s 10-year, $580m redevelopment.

Earlier this year, a leaked email from departing hospital chief executive Jen Duncan revealed that the airconditioning system was no longer fit-for-purpose, especially in D Block, the inpatient unit tower.

Ms Duncan described the block overheating as a “long historical issue”.“The system was designed to cater for 28C external ambient and as a result higher external temp causes problems,” she said in the email.

A total of 47 heat-related incidents were logged in the hospital’s internal Safety Reporting Learning System between 2017 and January of this year. Twelve of the incidents were logged during the most recent summer.

The strain on the AC system came to a head in the first week of 2023, when one of the eight existing chiller units tripped, reducing the system’s capacity by 10–12 per cent.

On Wednesday, a Tasmanian Department of Health spokesman said that $4m had been allocated towards the hospital’s AC system from money already earmarked for the hospital’s 10-year, $580m redevelopment.

“Installation of new chiller units will be completed in a staged approach allowing the benefits to be realised as soon as individual units are operational, with all operational by the end of 2023, ensuring the new cooling system is ready for summer,” the spokesman said.

Mercury rising: Hospital’s history of aircon failure revealed

January 20, 2023: A dozen heat-related complaints were logged in Launceston General Hospital’s internal safety reporting system during this summer’s heatwave amid longstanding problems with its airconditioning, coupled with the failure of one of its coolers.

The failure brought into sharp focus the frailty of the system, especially in D Block, the inpatient unit tower.

In a leaked email, Hospitals North chief executive Jennifer Duncan described the block overheating as a “long historical issue”.

“The system was designed to cater for 28C external ambient and as a result higher external temp causes problems,” she said.

According to figures provided to the Mercury, 47 complaints have been logged in the hospital’s internal Safety Reporting Learning System since the start of 2017.

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The co-located allied health building, Northern Integrated Care Service, had 11 complaints against its heat between late 2021 – early 2022, nine of which occurred on a single day in November.

The remaining 36 complaints related to the hospital itself, predominantly D Block. A dozen complaints were logged there over a seven-day period in the last week of December and into January this year. Tasmania was experiencing a heatwave.

Jennifer Duncan, Acting CEO Hospitals North Tasmania at the unveiling of the tunapri mapali Building, November 14, 2022. Picture: Alex Treacy

Australian Nurses and Midwives Federation – Tasmania branch secretary Emily Shepherd previously told the Mercury that on December 27 last year, nurses working in 6D – the Covid ward – reported working in 40C heat wearing full personal protective equipment.

She said that members had reported “leav(ing) shifts early due to suffering from heat exhaustion and feeling faint”.

While only 21 complaints were logged the four years between 2017–2020, already 27 complaints have been logged in the two years since.

Ms Duncan told the Mercury there was no “quick fix” after years of neglect, punctuated only by the state government’s $1.4m spent on “priority areas” in the system in 2018.

“Management at the Launceston General Hospital and the Department of Health’s Infrastructure team are investigating options to improve cooling systems in parts of the hospital,” she said.

The temperature in Launceston General Hospital's D-Block on the afternoon of Monday, January 2, 2023. Picture: Brett Victory

“D Block, on the west side of the hospital, can be particularly affected during warm weather. “This is a longstanding issue which we are addressing with a number of interim measures, while a working party continues to investigate sustainable longer-term options.

“We are aware of the concerns from staff and patients, but there is no quick fix. Infection prevention measures mean oscillating systems using fans are not suitable.

“The LGH is working hard to ensure patients are being cared for and staff are working in comfortable conditions.”