News
$565 Million for New Royal & New Queen Alex |
| Spokesperson: | The Hon David Bartlett MP - Premier of Tasmania |
| Date: | Monday, 8 March 2010 |
| Category: | State Health News |
| Labor will invest $565 million to buy back the Hobart Private Hospital, significantly expand the redevelopment of the Royal, and build a new Queen Alexandra Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Premier David Bartlett announced today. Mr Bartlett said the centrepiece of Labor’s re-election campaign delivered on the party’s number one priority – putting the public health system first. “Together with the Rudd Government we will restore the Queen Alexandra Hospital closed by the Liberals and expand the size of the State’s major public hospital by almost one third. “Under Labor’s reform partnership with the Rudd Government, we will invest: • $180 million for the new Queen Alex; and • $285 million to end the Liberals’ lease to the Hobart Private and redevelop the Argyle St site. “Labor has previously committed $100 million of State funds to the first phase of the RHH redevelopment. “Today I am committing a further $126 million of State funds towards the second stage of the redevelopment and the new Queen Alex. “We will work with Kevin Rudd – who has committed under the national reform program to meet 60% of hospital capital funding – to deliver these important facilities. “However, all Tasmanians should be aware that the Liberals have already rejected the Prime Minister’s reforms out of hand. “That means only Labor can deliver this windfall benefit to every Tasmanian.” Mr Bartlett said the Royal Hobart Hospital has been struggling for more than a decade with the consequences of the short-sighted Liberal Party decision to sell off the old Queen Alex – at that time the most modern part of the whole hospital. “The Liberal decision has squeezed the Royal brutally at the same time as demand for public hospital care from an ageing population has been rising steeply. “This is not a criticism of the Hobart Private, but it is time we put public patients first and the Liberal privatisation agenda second. “That is why I am announcing today that a re-elected Labor Government, in partnership with the Rudd Government, will buy-back the Hobart Private Hospital site and building. “Under Labor this site will once again be owned by all Tasmanians, for the benefit of all Tasmanians.” Ms Bartlett said a re-elected Labor Government would immediately commence formal negotiations with the operators of the Hobart Private Hospital for them to leave the site and relocate by 2013 – six years before their contract expires. “We need this site to make reconstruction of the State’s biggest public hospital on its current site work effectively for all Tasmanians. “However, we do not want to disadvantage the private hospital along the way. “We will negotiate constructively with Healthscope and as part of those negotiations we will seek to ensure the long term future of a Hobart Private hospital in the city. “We will then completely redevelop the Hobart Private site by constructing a 20,000 square metre building that will provide state-of-the-art facilities and medical care for all Tasmanians. “This new building will provide the opportunity to further expand the Intensive Care Unit/High Dependency Unit to deal specifically with post-surgical recovery. “It will also enable creation of an Integrated Care Centre as proposed in Tasmania’s Health Plan. “The exact mix of services will be determined by the doctors, nurses, allied health and executive staff of the Royal Hobart Hospital.” Mr Bartlett said the new building will expand the overall site capacity of the Royal Hobart Hospital by 30%. “It will be invaluable in providing the decanting space required for future works across the Royal as we progress the redevelopment program.” Labor has previously announced it will buy back the North West Regional Hospital at Burnie, which was privately financed under a Liberal deal which has cost taxpayers $5 million in rental costs. Labor also brought the Mersey back into the public health system after it was privatised by the Liberals. Labor has committed $130 million to fund the biggest expansion of staff in the history of the Launceston General Hospital, with 260 more doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and support staff. They will staff new facilities being built in a $98 million capital works program, including: • a new $12 million Emergency Department, • a $40 million Acute Medical Unit, • An expanded Intensive Care Unit, High Dependency Unit and Angiography Step-down Unit; and • New Medical Day Procedure Unit, Infusion and Desensitisation Service. At Mersey, Labor has committed $8 million to relocate the high-dependency unit, expand the emergency department and upgrade the operating theatres to cope with the increased surgery the hospital is performing. In Burnie, in addition to buying back the North-West Regional Hospital Labor has committed $10 million to fast-track a comprehensive new North-West cancer centre and $5.5 million to expand car parking to create an additional 200 spaces. |
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