Plans for the long-awaited $130 million expansion of the Royal Hobart Hospital’s emergency department have been submitted to the Hobart City Council for approval.
The major upgrade will boost capacity to 120 treatment points and include new procedure rooms, CT and X-ray bays and two ultrasound rooms.
Health Minister Jacquie Petrusma said construction is expected to start in the second half of the year.
“This important project will reduce wait times and length of stay in the ED, deliver a more streamlined and improved patient and visitor experience, as well as improve access, safety and infection control measures,” she said.
The concept design features dedicated areas for vulnerable patients, including a new paediatric zone and separate waiting spaces for children and people experiencing mental health distress.
Clinical stakeholders were involved in shaping the design, which is based on projections of patient demand through to 2037.
AMA Tasmania has welcomed the announcement but warned the expansion will only keep pace with demand for the next ten years.
“While the expansion of the emergency department is a positive development, it is crucial to note that this measure will only address patient demand for the next decade,” the organisation stated.
The medical association is calling for early planning of a “new acute care hospital on a greenfield site”, suggesting the current K Block could be repurposed as a Women’s and Children’s Hospital serving both public and private patients.
The emergency department upgrade is part of the Tasmanian Government’s wider $209 million Stage 2 redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital.
Stage 1 was completed in January 2023, delivering an additional 28 treatment points.
Once construction begins, the main phase is expected to take about two years, with the expanded ED set to be up and running by late 2027.
