The Tasmanian State Government has announced new health infrastructure spending in the State's Budget.

 

Health Minister Michelle O’Byrne said that $176 million had been allocated to the Capital Works Program in the State Budget this year to improve or replace health service facilities, equipment and services. Additional funding was being accessed through Health and Hospital Funds and other State and Commonwealth funds.

 

“The investment in capital works will lay the foundations for better health services despite the serious Budget challenges we face,” Ms O’Byrne said.

 

The Minister said capital works highlights included:

  • The redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital, including installation of a PET-CT scanner
  • An extensive capital works program at the Launceston General Hospital that includes redevelopment of the Emergency Department and new car park. In partnership with the Australian Government, works being constructed include an Acute Medical Unit, Integrated Care Centre, and a third linear accelerator at the WP Holman Clinic
  • A new Integrated Care Centre at Clarence
  • Tier Three Community Health Centre’s at Kingston and Glenorchy
  • Redevelopment of the Flinders Island Multipurpose Centre
  • An upgrade to the King Island Hospital and Health Centre
  • Increased student accommodation and infrastructure at Smithton, Queenstown, St Helens Deloraine and Oatlands for placement of clinical students
  • Construction of a new Emergency Department at the Mersey Community Hospital
  • Planning for the Statewide Cancer Centres
  • Design and planning for the North West Regional Hospital Car Park – Stages 1 and 2
  • New patient accommodation at the North West Regional Hospital
  • New palliative care suites at St Marys, Deloraine, Scottsdale and Flinders Island
  • Redevelopment of the Alcohol and Drug Pharmacotherapy Unit at St Johns Park and
  • A new palliative care suite and nurse call system at the Midlands Multipurpose Centre at Oatlands.

Ms O’Byrne said the funding came from a range of sources including the Special Capital Investment Fund (SCIF), the Capital Investment Program (CIP), Health and Hospital Fund and other State and Commonwealth funds.

 

Royal Hobart Hospital

 

The Tamanian Government has also committed the remaining funds towards the $586 million redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital in its 2011/12 budget.

 

“The combined funding from the Australian and Tasmanian Governments will allow us to overhaul this crucial facility and create a prestigious, modern hospital for our State,” Ms O'Byrne said.

 

“This Budget commits $365 million over five years, with $240 million from the Commonwealth and $125 million from the State. It adds to the $200 million already committed by the Commonwealth and the State, at $100 million each."

 

Ms O'Byrne said the funding would enable the RHH to be redeveloped over the next four years, including a new $100 million Women’s and Children’s Unit on the existing hospital site. She said an additional  $x21 million would be targeted at cancer services infrastructure, bringing the total investment to $586 million.

 

Ms O’Byrne said that work on the RHH redevelopment was already underway, and would proceed as follows:

 

  • Completion of a PET/CT suite and other works including the creation of a central equipment store and an expansion of the Intensive Care Unit.
  • six new ultrasound suites and a range of other upgrades to improve patient and staff amenities in the Medical Imaging Department.
  • A new Assessment and Planning Unit adjacent to the Emergency Department.

 

Over the next four years major upgrade works will include:

 

Phase Two – Construction of a Cancer Centre to include a new linear accelerator to expand the provision of radiotherapy services, a multi-disciplinary outpatient clinic centre with enhanced chemotherapy and consultation facilities. Also included is a dedicated patient services centre for the provision of psycho-social support, training and education, preventative workshops and complementary health care services.

 

Phase Three/Four – delivery of an integrated $100 million Women’s and Children’s Unit, including an adolescent centre. The Phase includes the substantial expansion of the hospital’s bed capacity to meet likely increases in demand for hospital services over the next 10 to 15 years. This funding will provide the capacity for 195 new overnight beds – a one-third increase – and twelve new operating and procedure rooms.