Release date: 17/11/22

Legislation to fast-track works on the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital has passed through both houses of parliament, ensuring the next stage of the once-in-a-generation project can begin.

After passing the Legislative Council during the last parliamentary sitting week, the New Women’s and Children’s Hospital Bill 2022 passed the House of Assembly late last night after more than 10 hours of debate.

The Bill removes planning and development barriers that could increase the new hospital’s cost and construction timeframe and enables the Malinauskas Government to progress works to set our state up for the long term.

The changes will help ensure the delivery of a bigger and better hospital on a larger site, with capacity for 414 beds – 76 more beds than the existing hospital, and 70 more beds than the former government’s proposal.

The new WCH will be built on a site which is twice as big as the Liberals’ proposed RAH West site, which was landlocked between the RAH, railway tracks and North Terrace and prevented future expansion of both hospitals.

A review found the barracks site was the most clinically suitable of six site options in the biomedical precinct – including the former government’s site – and would deliver the best long-term outcomes for the RAH and WCH.

The State Government’s new WCH will include:
*56 extra beds, delivering the government’s election commitment of 50 more beds.
*Built in capacity for an additional 20 beds, taking the total beds to 414 – 76 more than the existing hospital.
*A four-bed Intensive Care Unit for women, co-located with the Paediatric ICU.
*A 24 per cent increase in treatment space, compared with the existing WCH.
*Critical care services all on one floor – including birthing, theatres, 23-hour ward, Paediatric ICU and Neonatal ICU.
*A dedicated heliport with direct access to critical clinical areas, which was not possible on the previous site.
More than 30,000 square metres of land surrounding the hospital site will also be returned and restored to accessible Parklands, giving the public far greater access to currently blocked-off or dilapidated sites.


Quotes

Attributable to Chris Picton

I am grateful both houses have supported this legislation to fast-track building a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital that sets us up for the long term.  

We will now get on with delivering our commitment to provide better care for children, increase capacity in our hospitals and boost Parklands access for families.

We will continue listening to our clinicians throughout this process which puts the healthcare needs of future generations first.