Tasmanian government proposes second campus of Royal Hobart Hospital at St John’s Park

Premier and Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff has revealed big changes to the sweeping redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital, with a second campus set to be built in a new location.

A second campus of the Royal Hobart Hospital is set to be built at St John’s Park at New Town, with the state government scrapping a proposed redevelopment of the Repatriation Centre on Davey St to accommodate new health services.

The Mercury can reveal that the historic St John’s Park site, which is the location of a planned Health and Wellbeing Centre, will be the home of a new RHH campus that could provide services including mental health and subacute care.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Question time in the Tasmanian parliament. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

It comes amid concerns around the looming closure of St Helen’s Private Hospital, which contains 39 mental health and mother and baby beds. The opposition parties and health unions have urged the government to take over the facility, thereby ensuring the beds are not lost permanently.

The government has released a draft masterplan for the new St John’s Park complex, detailing its reasons for abandoning a plan to revamp the Repatriation Centre, which it previously proposed to redevelop as a second campus of the RHH.

Premier and Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff said St John’s Park had since been identified as “a more appropriate option” because it “provides greater opportunities for future development and expansion”.

Vision for St John’s Park Health and Wellbeing Precinct. Picture: Supplied

“The St John’s Park site enables connectivity, safety, efficiency, and improved operational relationships through the co-location of services,” he said.

“Importantly, construction can commence at the site while other health services at the RHH and the Repatriation Hospital sites are maintained, preventing any disruption to patients using these services.”

Mr Rockliff said the Health and Wellbeing Precinct would provide mental health, palliative care, rehabilitation and geriatric evaluation and management services in “new purpose-built and refurbished facilities”.

Vision for St John’s Park Health and Wellbeing Precinct. Picture: supplied

Vision for St John’s Park Health and Wellbeing Precinct. Picture: Supplied

It will include a new 15-bed mental health facility, on which work has begun, and a 12-bed eating disorder treatment centre. The precinct will also feature additional carparking, walking paths and green spaces.

Construction of the precinct – which is a component of the Royal Hobart Hospital Masterplan 2020-2050 – is expected to start later this year.

Mr Rockliff said the St John’s Park precinct would “lift Tasmanian health services into the 21st century while preserving the significant cultural and built heritage values of the area”.

“The 2023-24 Tasmanian budget includes $2m to finalise the development of this blueprint so that we can deliver this once-in-a-generation precinct and ensure all Tasmanians can get the right support for their needs at the right place and at the right time,” he said.

Public consultation on the draft masterplan will now begin.

ST JOHN’S PARK HEALTH AND WELLBEING PRECINCT:

• 15-bed mental health facility
• 12-bed eating disorder treatment service
• – Construction of mental health facility to begin by the end of 2023, due for completion in 2025.
• $2m in 2023-24 state budget to finalise St John’s Park Health Precinct Masterplan.