After the safe and successful decanting of the Royal Hobart Hospital’s B-Block last year, preparation for the structural demolition of the building is well underway with the required equipment now on site.

The demolition is a major step in the $689 million RHH Redevelopment and demonstrates the Tasmanian Government’s continuing commitment to focus on Tasmania’s health system this year.

It comes on the back of the Government's record $6.4 billion investment over four years in health, which has allowed for improvements and reforms to be rolled out within the sector around Tasmania.

The three-staged demolition process will be completed in around six months.

The demolition and K-Block ground works, with the drilling of pilings and the installation of structural footings, will be challenging for neighbours, staff and particularly for patients.

K-Block will be built in the least disruptive, safest and most efficient way possible for all concerned.

But the inconvenience will be worthwhile because when complete, the new K-Block will have more bed capacity, more operating and procedure rooms, and more contemporary facilities.

The Government thanks the community for their support while the works progresses to deliver a state-of-the-art hospital with increased capacity of 250 beds.

Last year the RHH Redevelopment project implemented the largest capital investment program at the hospital in decades.

Approximately $50 million in construction and refurbishment works were achieved, around twenty new patient areas created - most for long-term use, and numerous administrative moves to allow B-Block to be vacated.

The project has already delivered many new, quality clinical and administrative spaces, which patients and staff are benefitting from including:

* A 54-bed, modern, health facility for general medicine and mental health patients in J-Block;

* Short stay surgery unit;

* Acute dialysis unit;

* Ambulatory care centre;

* Clozapine clinic;

* Inpatient oncology unit including iodine therapy;

* Neurology and neurophysiology rooms with Faraday cages;

* Endocrinology offices;

* Women’s and general surgery unit;

* Orthopaedic and surgical specialties unit;

* Acute rehabilitation unit;

* Medical specialties unit;

* Stomal therapy room;

* Inpatient rehabilitation rooms;

* Transit lounge for discharged patients;

* Cardiology and cardiothoracic rooms;

* Patient transport assistance scheme;

* Numerous administrative offices;

* Temporary hyperbaric medicine chambers; and

* Temporary loading dock for deliveries to the hospital.

12 Jan 2017