Better healthcare where and when you need it
Whether it’s for a routine check-up, a sudden broken bone, a much-anticipated birth or a chronic illness, we are working to deliver better care when and where Canberrans need it.
The 2017 Budget kicked off the ACT Government’s 10-year health plan to renew our local hospitals and health facilities, so they can deliver the right care in ways that are easy for everyone to access. That plan is coming to life with Canberrans already using some of these new services, and others well on the way.
Future-proofing our public health system with SPIRE
We are delivering a major upgrade and expansion of The Canberra Hospital with the Surgical Procedures, Interventional Radiology and Emergency (SPIRE) Centre.
SPIRE will be a state-of-the-art critical care and surgical facility able to meet acute healthcare demand into the future by providing:
- more inpatient beds and operating theatres
- a new and expanded intensive care unit including paediatric intensive care, a rehabilitation gym and a family zone to support family-centred care
- an expanded coronary care unit including interventional cardiology
- a new and expanded emergency department
- interventional radiology suites as well as integrated radiology and medical imaging facilities
- a mental health short stay unit.
On track
Funding for SPIRE has been committed, and we will be going to market to secure a contract for the centre’s detailed design and construction in early 2020. SPIRE is planned for completion in 2023-24, delivering a significant boost to capacity in our healthcare system when it’s needed.
The new SPIRE Centre at The Canberra Hospital
Upgrading facilities at Calvary Public Hospital
We’ve delivered $15 million to upgrade Calvary Public Hospital, including the emergency department, adult mental health unit, surgical areas and imaging equipment.
On track
Work is underway on the adult mental health unit and the expanded and upgraded Emergency Department.
These upgrades will deliver better hospital services on Canberra’s Northside, improving access to healthcare for people in our city’s fastest-growing region.
Expanding the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children
We are expanding the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children to deliver more specialist facilities for young people, new mothers and their babies.
This expansion will deliver more neonatology services including more special care beds and increased support for families, more post-natal beds and an expanded Maternity Assessment Unit, and facilities for more family support and education services. It will also feature a new adolescent mental health inpatient unit supported by day services, and an adolescent gynaecology service.
On track
Construction has already commenced to improve birthing services at the hospital, with major elements of the expansion to be delivered in a staged approach over the coming years through to 2021-22.
Growing our network of Walk-in Centres
Canberra’s Walk-in Centres provide care closer to home and ensure people with minor injuries or illnesses are seen quickly without visiting the emergency department. Walk-in Centres provide free, one-off treatment and health advice 7 days a week, from 7.30am to 10pm, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, with no appointment required.
With two popular nurse-led Walk-in Centres already operating in Belconnen and Tuggeranong, we are establishing three new centres for the growing communities of Gungahlin, Weston Creek and the Inner North.
Delivered
The Gungahlin Walk-in Centre opened in September 2018 with over 10,000 patients using the service within the first six months.
On track
The new Walk-in Centre serving Weston Creek, Molonglo and Woden is on track to start taking patients by the end of 2019, with construction currently underway.
On track
Design and planning work is now underway to deliver the Inner North Walk-in Centre at Dickson. Locating the new clinic at the heart of the Dickson Group Centre and close to the Dickson Interchange for light rail will ensure it is accessible for people across the Inner North.
Strengthening mental health care
We are providing more targeted mental health services across the generations, with more support especially for children, adolescents and older Canberrans. Suicide prevention has also been a priority, through our support for the Black Dog Institute and the Way Back program, as well as the addition of more supported mental health accommodation places.
Delivered
We have established a dedicated Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing to improve the coordination of services for people struggling with their mental health, and work towards closing gaps in the ACT mental health system. We have delivered on this Parliamentary Agreement commitment while also increasing mental health funding by $21.3 million since 2016-17.
Growing care through Hospital in the Home
The Hospital in the Home program supports patients to be cared for where they are most comfortable – improving their recovery while taking pressure off our hospital wards. We are adding more doctors and nurses to expand Hospital in the Home while integrating the care provided by The Canberra Hospital and Calvary Public Hospital to provide a Territory-wide service for the first time.
Delivered
The 2018 Budget delivered $30.7 million to expand Hospital in the Home so that the service can care for 3,000 more patients each year.
Related
Media Release: Future-proofing Canberra's health and hospital services