Australian Government Funds Major Upgrade for Royal Hobart Hospital
The Australian Government today announced a boost to health services in Tasmania by committing $240 million to a major upgrade of the Royal Hobart Hospital.
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The Hon Nicola Roxon MP
Minister for Health and Ageing
The Hon Lara Giddings MP
Tasmania
Premier
21 April 2011The Gillard Government today announced a boost to health services in Tasmania by committing $240 million to a major upgrade of the Royal Hobart Hospital.
“This investment will mean more beds, more services and better facilities for the communities of Hobart and greater Tasmania—as part of this Government’s ongoing commitment to improving regional and rural health services,” Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon said.
The Government committed to fund the Royal Hobart Hospital upgrade as part of the agreement with the Independent MPs. The commitment was subject to the application meeting the Health and Hospitals Fund’s criteria. The independent HHF Advisory Board has since advised the Government that the Hobart application meets the HHF criteria.
“This funding will provide the capacity for 195 new overnight beds—a one-third increase—and twelve new operating and procedure rooms,” Minister Roxon said.
“This brings the Gillard Government’s investment in the Royal to $340 million, after we committed $100 million in 2010 for the construction of a women’s and children’s precinct.
“Since 2007, the Gillard Government has now boosted funding to Tasmania’s health and hospital system by more than $1.3 billion, recognising our commitment to the Apple Isle,” Minister Roxon said.
Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings welcomed the announcement and recognised the ongoing productive relationship between the Gillard and Giddings Governments.
“The State Government has committed $225 million to the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment, representing 40 per cent of the largest capital investment ever made in our health system,” Premier Giddings said.
“I am personally very proud that we are delivering on the commitment we made in 2009 to rebuild the hospital from the inside out, so that we can have a modern and efficient facility that responds to the health needs of Tasmanians now and into the future.
“This capital investment by the State and Federal Governments will also stimulate the construction industry and the wider economy, which is crucial in these tough financial times,” Premier Giddings said.
“And, thanks to national health reform, we can enter into this project knowing that a much greater contribution to the cost of managing the Royal Hobart will met by the Commonwealth in future years, helping to ensure our health system stays sustainable into the long term,” Premier Giddings said.
Ms Giddings said the State Government secured $100 million of Commonwealth funding when both parties signed the ‘Implementation Plan for Commonwealth Contribution to the construction of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Hobart’.
“The Women’s and Children’s Precinct is an important element of the redevelopment and will transform the Hospital’s capability to deliver best practice health services,” Premier Giddings said.
Minister Roxon said the overall result would be a modern healthcare facility with the capacity to meet the needs of the people of Hobart and the surrounding regions.
“This investment forms part of the Government’s commitment to deliver more services in rural and regional areas and give hospitals the resources they need for more beds and better care,” Minister Roxon said.
“The improvements we are announcing today will enable the hospital to provide high quality medical services to the people of the Hobart region into the future.”
Note: Funding for this project was provided for in MYEFO. The Government is currently assessing advice from the HHF Advisory Board on other applications. Other successful projects that are funded by the Government from the HHF regional priority round will be announced in the 2011-12 Budget.
Ms Roxon’s Office: (02) 6277 7220
Premier Giddings media: 0438 631 399
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