The Flinders Medical Centre Emergency Department expansion has reached an important milestone with the appointment of a design team to help plan and design the expanded facility.
The appointment comes after the Marshall Liberal Government last month brought forward the expansion of internal service moves within the ED to increase its capacity to deal with potential COVID-19 patients if needed.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade said the $11 million Flinders Medical Centre Emergency Department development forms part of the larger $45.7 million Southern Health Expansion Plan (SHEP) – a series of service relocations and expansions that will improve access to health services across Southern Adelaide.
"While FMC were fortunate enough to be able to fast track temporary accommodation for treatment bays to prepare for their COVID-19 response, the architects will design permanent space for up to 30 treatment spaces within the ED," Minister Wade said.
"This will ensure the hospital is better equipped to meet growing demand, significantly reducing ambulance ramping and easing pressure on emergency departments across the system.
"As the busiest ED in South Australia, the upgrade and expansion of the FMC ED will benefit thousands of South Australians in need of urgent, life-saving care.
"Following a competitive tendering process, we are pleased to announce Cheesman Architects have been appointed as lead architects for the project, with Turner Townsend appointed as cost manager.
"This is part of the State Government's strong commitment to ease pressure on our emergency departments across the hospital network, providing better health services to the people of South Australia."
Southern Adelaide Local Health Network Chief Operating Officer, David Morris, said that the increased capacity within the FMC ED will ensure doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals have more spaces to treat patients faster.
"We know that the FMC ED is one of the busiest in South Australia with a 15 per cent increase in presentations in FMC ED over the past five years, so the expansion will significantly improve patient access across our southern health services," Mr Morris said.
"The expansion will deliver additional patient treatment bays, resus bays and an expansion of the adjacent short stay unit, and a complete refurbishment of the paediatric ED sub-unit with better separation from adult treatment areas.
"This is an exciting time for health in the south as we work extremely hard to continue the delivery of high-quality care to our patients in a modern environment."
The Flinders Medical Centre ED will remain operational while work is underway, with plans to minimise interruptions to service delivery in place.
The expansion is expected to be completed in mid-2021.
For more information on the Southern Health Expansion Plan, go to sahealth.sa.gov.au/SouthernHealthExpansionPlan
