Proposed design for $130m Royal Hobart Hospital emergency department revamp doesn't meet 'current needs', management tells staff

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A leaked email sent to staff at the Royal Hobart hospital, reveals the proposed redesign of the emergency department will not fit current and future needs. In the email the ed management team says the redevelopment is on hold due to a cost blow out of 50 million dollars with the design forced to be scaled back. The government is refusing to budge, saying the upgrades will meet future demand.

Transcript

00:00An emergency department in urgent need of assistance.

00:06We had a doctor last year reference the Royal Hobart Hospital to being similar to trying

00:11to get patients around similar to a cave in Thailand.

00:14The government's spending $130 million on stage two of the redevelopment.

00:20But a leaked email from management to staff says the redevelopment is on hold due to budgetary

00:26issues.

00:27But the government has directed the Tasmanian Health Service executive to endorse a redesign

00:32of the existing ED footprint within the current budget.

00:36And that management openly acknowledges the design isn't fit for purpose to meet current

00:41needs let alone the future needs of the department.

00:44Ultimately there's one additional resuscitation bay, there's a little extra space in a dedicated

00:49mental health unit, a couple of extra ambulance bays and that is about it.

00:55In terms of the refurbishment, it's not going to bring the emergency department in line

00:59with Australian standards.

01:01Another email reveals the cost blowout is around $50 million, which the government is

01:06refusing to spend.

01:08A Department of Health spokesperson said the ED management's claims were false and the

01:13project was not on hold.

01:15They say the current design plans will provide the facilities needed to meet future demand

01:19for emergency care in southern Tasmania.

01:22This is just another slap in the face to an already exhausted burnout workforce.

01:27The Greens say we shouldn't throw money away.

01:30There's no point investing in the emergency department at the Royal if it's not going

01:34to do what we need for the long term.

01:37Earlier this year a parliamentary committee overseeing the RHH development recommended

01:42a $149 million upgrade to the emergency department.

01:47We have record deficit and debt and we have a government now with the wrong priorities.

01:52They're cutting the health service when they should be investing in it to create efficiencies.

01:56A dire diagnosis on a tight budget.

Category

Transcript

Comments

Recommended