More than $1 billion will be included in the 2023‑24 ACT Budget to deliver the new northside hospital on the current Calvary Public Hospital site in Bruce, the ACT Government announced today.
The new northside hospital will be owned by the ACT Government and is planned to be operated by Canberra Health Services, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said in a joint statement.
“A provision of more than $1 billion will be included in the 2023‑24 Budget to deliver the new northside hospital, in line with the Government’s 2020 election commitment that construction of a new northside hospital will commence mid-decade,” they said.
“The Government negotiated with Calvary Health Care for many months to find an agreed path forward. However, these negotiations were not successful in delivering an outcome consistent with the evolving needs of the ACT community.”
The ACT Government will introduce the Health Infrastructure Enabling Bill 2023 in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday (11 May), which, if passed, will enable it to acquire the Calvary Public Hospital land, and transition existing Calvary staff and assets to the Territory, they said.
Mr Barr and Ms Stephen-Smith said “the new hospital will be developed in partnership with clinicians and the community, ensuring it meets Canberra’s future health care needs with no disruption to existing services. A transition team has been established to coordinate and implement the smooth transfer of hospital care at the Bruce public hospital from Calvary Health Care ACT to Canberra Health Services on 3 July 2023, ahead of construction commencing on the new hospital mid-decade.”
“Canberra’s northside will continue growing in the coming decades,” Mr Barr said. “Planning now for a bigger modern hospital on the northside will provide all Canberrans with access to more healthcare services closer to home.”
The Chief Minister said construction for the new Critical Services Building at the Canberra Hospital will be complete next year.
“Within the next decade, there will be two new hospitals with bigger emergency departments, more treatment spaces and modern equipment to meet the healthcare needs of Canberrans,” he said.
According to Ms Stephen-Smith, this is “a big decision for the future of health care in the ACT, as we make a billion-dollar investment in a new hospital and bring our services together to help us address the demand challenges all health systems are facing”.
“Consolidating our public hospitals to create a single network will allow us to better coordinate our health services, distribute resources effectively, strengthen the capacity of our workforce, plan infrastructure on a Territory-wide basis, and improve health outcomes for all Canberrans,” she said.
The minister said Calvary has played an important role in the delivery of public hospital care in Canberra over the last 44 years and thanked “all Calvary Public Hospital staff, past and present, for their dedication to helping Canberrans in times of need”.
“Canberra Health Services looks forward to welcoming current Calvary Public Hospital staff while recognising the need to respect the hospital’s distinct culture and values. Hospital leaders will work to ensure that everything staff love about their workplace is built into future plans.
“We know this will be a stressful time for Calvary staff and we are committed to supporting them through this transition and providing as much certainty as possible. The vast majority of staff will continue doing the jobs they do today with their current teams.
“I encourage anyone working at Calvary Public Hospital to contact our dedicated transition team on (02) 5124 0400 for further support,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
