New hospital will open with 270 empty ‘bed spaces’

Government documents reveal that a staggering number of the new Royal Hobart Hospital K-Block ‘bed spaces’ will be empty when it opens.

THE $689 million redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital will deliver just 44 additional inpatient beds, it has been confirmed.

Documents obtained by the Mercury reveal when the new K-Block opens, the hospital will remain with a third of its potential bed capacity vacant.

The government figures show the number of beds at the Royal will increase from 383 at present to 427 once the redevelopment is complete.

When the new wing will opens, the hospital will have about 270 empty “bed spaces” that the government could deliver — if it paid for them.

But last night Health Minister Sarah Courtney said: “K-Block will be filled from the migration of existing beds to this new ... building.”

‘THE BAND-AIDS AREN’T WORKING’

“As existing services will be migrated to K-Block, this will free up current clinical spaces in other buildings and allow the Government to progress the $91 million Stage Two of the redevelopment without disrupting patients or staff,” she said — adding that the government remained committed to its promise of 250 new beds over six years in the South.

The state’s hospital system has been struggling under increased demand and the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine College found the Royal Hobart Hospital and Launceston General Hospital recorded the worst results of all hospitals in Australia for patient access block and 24-hour wait times.

Minister Sarah Courtney was grilled by Labor over K-Block’s opening date in parliament yesterday — which she insists was “imminent”.

“It will make significant changes for our health system, including 44 new beds which will help address the access flow which we see at that hospital at the moment,” she said.

She said the hospital would be open soon: “The completion is now imminent with the final fit-out nearing completion.

“Once this occurs, the building will undergo vigorous inspection testing and defect rectification to ensure that it meets all specified requirements and safe and fit for purpose. This will be followed by commissioning of services into K Block which is on track for a February commencement.

Tasmanian Health Minister, Sarah Courtney. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

But Labor’s Sarah Lovell said the government had no plan, no strategy, no vision.

“Sarah Courtney has not given Tasmanians any clarity on when the ... redevelopment will be complete, or what new capacity it will create,” the Shadow Health Minister said.

“The Royal is one of the worst performing in the country in terms of access block and emergency department waits of more than 24 hours.

“To date, Sarah Courtney’s only solution has been to point to the ‘imminent’ opening of 44 of the 250 promised additional beds at the Royal. But with the project experiencing serial delays and problems, direct questions about a revised opening date and the number of beds have been avoided.”

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