Due to increasing demand on the health system, the Tasmanian Government is making some important improvements to the Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment.

On advice from Royal Hobart Hospital clinicians and the Clinical Planning Taskforce, the Government has made the decision to dedicate the entire 10th floor of the new K-block tower at the RHH to create a single general medicine and respiratory medicine ward.

By grouping a greater number of general medical and respiratory medicine beds together in one space, patients will receive care on one designated ward, instead of multiple wards. This is expected to result in reduced lengths of stay, meaning they can recover faster and be at home sooner.

Patients will also be able to move more rapidly from the emergency department into ward beds, helping to reduce waiting times for care, relieving pressure on emergency department staff and improving patient flow throughout the whole hospital.

One of the key benefits of this plan is that it also delivers significant expansion space for the emergency department, which will be subject to further consultation as part of the work of the Clinical Planning Taskforce.

The advice of clinicians and health stakeholders has been crucial in making these important changes.

• Medical sub-specialties will expand across two wards on A-Block, refurbished during earlier stages of the redevelopment.
• The 20-bed capacity, 7A ward will become a dedicated early intervention neuro-rehabilitation unit for patients with conditions such as stroke, neurological disorders, acquired brain injury or spinal cord injury. The ward will be supported by the in-reach rehabilitation service.
• More medical sub-specialties services, including the acute renal unit, will expand into the
  25-bed capacity ward on 5A.
• The acute rehabilitation unit will remain in the sub-acute precinct at the Repatriation Centre once K-Block is commissioned.

Importantly, the Level 10 K-Block changes can be accommodated within the RHH Redevelopment construction program and budget, meaning that the project will remain on track for practical completion in mid-2019.

18 Oct 2018