Updated plan reveals next stage of Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment

An updated Royal Hobart Hospital masterplan outlines the Government’s plans for the state’s largest development.

The Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment continues.

MENTAL health patients in Tasmania’s South will be treated in a refurbished Repatriation Hospital under a new health masterplan released by the State Government on Tuesday.

The updated Royal Hobart Hospital masterplan stepped out the Government’s plans for the state’s largest development. Premier Will Hodgman announced $91 million for stage two of the K-Block redevelopment would be included in the upcoming Budget.

The three-year stage two build would include a new second dedicated patient lift that would connect the emergency department, medical imaging and J-Block, an expansion of the emergency department, a refurbishment of A-Block, an expansion of the intensive care unit in its current location, and a refit of the existing J-Block, which would be vacated for other services.

Stage three of the RHH project will have the Repatriation Hospital redeveloped as a subacute and mental health campus of the broader hospital facility. There was no funding or timeline for this announcement yesterday.

Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the masterplan decisions were made on the advice of the Clinical Planning Taskforce, which is chaired by chief medical officer Tony Lawler.

“The RHH masterplan complements significant investments in North and North-West Tasmania, with the Clinical Planning Taskforce also leading development of a masterplan for the Launceston General Hospital,” Mr Ferguson said.

“This will help inform the $87 million LGH redevelopment, and a range of other capital projects under way at the Mersey Community Hospital and the North-West Regional Hospital.”

The Opposition lashed the updated masterplan as failing to address the immediate issues facing the state’s health crisis, criticising it because it did not carry extra funds for clinical services.

Labor health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said: “We have some serious concerns around funding and time frames as I understand the funding announced today doesn’t complete stage two. Stage three also still remains unfunded and we are yet to see a timeline for works.”

However, the Government’s plans were welcomed by Australian Medical Association president John Davis, although he echoed Labor’s concerns the $91 million announced to progress stage two of K-Block would not complete that project.

The AMA would lobby the Federal Government for funding assistance, Dr Davis said.

“While we haven’t got everything we believe the community needs, we are satisfied that there is a way forward,” Dr Davis said. “We now need to work together to get the funding to enable all of stage two and three to occur within the next three to five years.”