Operational Commissioning

Operational commissioning is the process of preparing a new clinical or service area for occupation.

Operational commissioning starts at least 12 months before practical completion. Practical completion for K-Block is scheduled for early in 2020. Operational commissioning for K-Block was launched in September 2018 with staff and volunteer information sessions.

Planning Operational Commissioning

There are six phases in the RHH Redevelopment operational commissioning framework.

Phase 1 Establishing the Operational Commissioning Framework

The objective of phase 1 is to ensure foundation activities for the move to K-Block are complete. It starts around 12 months before the scheduled move date.

Phase 2 Planning for the Move

The objective of phase 2 is to ensure plans and human and physical resources are in place to support operational commissioning. It starts approximately four months before the scheduled move date.

Phase 3 Preparing to Move

The objective of phase 3 is to ensure staff and the building are prepared for the commencement of operations such as familiarising staff with facility operations. It starts approximately one month before the scheduled move date.

Phase 4 Getting Ready to Move

The objective of phase 4 is to ensure that K-Block is ready for patients. It starts approximately one week before the scheduled move date.

Phase 5 Move Day

The objective of phase 5 is to ensure a safe, planned and efficient relocation of patients, staff and equipment. This is the scheduled day of the move.

The mission statement for phase 5 is that patients will not feel like they have been moved.

Phase 6 Post-Occupancy

The objective of phase 6 is to support the successful project handover of K-Block and business as usual. This occurs up to three months from the day after the move.

For more information on operational commissioning read the fact sheet – Introducing Operational Commissioning.

Occupying K-Block

The relocation of wards and services will be sequenced to ensure the move into K-Block is resourced, manageable and seamless.

The relocation of services into K-Block will be based on clinical and service inter-dependencies. Like-services or wards will be moved as a group. These have been identified in consultation with the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH). The sequence that these groups will move in will be agreed with the RHH at practical completion.

Service groupings:

loading dock on the lower ground level and the one-stop patient admissions and departure area on the ground level
medical and surgical wards on levels 8, 9 and 10*
women’s and children’s services (WACS) on levels 6, 7 and 8
mental health wards on levels 2 and 3 and
allied health therapy and the opening of the new staff lounge on level 2.

The expansion of the theatre precinct and opening of new theatres (level 4) and the central sterilising department (level 5), along with the move and opening of diving and hyperbaric medicine (level 3) will occur once each area has met their regulatory compliance requirements.

RHH staff can find more information on preparing for the move to K-Block – Moving into K-Block.

Level 10	General Medicine Respiratory Medicine
Level 8	Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Special Care Nursery Neurosurgery
Level 9	Orthopaedic and Surgical Specialties General and Surgery
Level 7	Maternity - Antenatal and Postnatal Women's Surgical Pregnancy Assessment Maternity - Birthing
Level 6	Children's Adolescents Transition to Home
Level 5	Central Sterilising Department Perioperative Services Staff Amenities
Level 4	Operating Theatres incl. Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit and Short Stay Surgery
Level 3	Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Mental Health High Dependency/Closed
Level 2	Staff Lounge Allied Health Therapy Mental Health Open
Ground	Reception Admissions Reception
Lower Ground	Loading Dock

Moving into K-Block

Fact sheets will be provided to staff to help prepare for the move to K-Block.