A 24-bed mental health rehabilitation facility in the western suburbs is fast taking shape, as the State Government releases its Winter Demand Plan aimed at freeing up capacity in the health system.
The $51 million unit, on Woodville Road opposite the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, will expand patient care and reduce pressure on services at the QEH.
The first look today at one of the early-completion patient rooms comes as the Winter Demand Plan 2025 is released, outlining extra beds, more paramedics and additional treatment bays in emergency departments.
The new mental health rehabilitation unit is part of a $124 million capital works program to deliver an additional 72 mental health rehabilitation beds across Adelaide.
The new facility, on track to open later this year, will expand on acute mental health services at the hospital, improve flow from the emergency department and reduce the length of stay in acute mental health beds for complex patients.
Already this year there has been a 28 per cent increase in mental health presentations at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital compared to the same time last year.
The new mental health unit will have 24 bedrooms with private ensuites and is designed to provide a home-like environment, with access to outdoor spaces, therapy and recreation spaces. The design has been informed by consultation with staff and people with lived experience.
It will support people who need longer-stay rehabilitation to enhance their independence and make community connections while still receiving care.
The service model will improve patient outcomes by reducing the amount of time they need to stay in an acute-care bed and provide a therapeutic environment to support their recovery.
The 2025 Winter Demand Plan outlines initiatives aimed at easing demand on the hospital system and ensuring the most efficient use of resources during peak periods.
It centres on reducing pressure on emergency departments by directing people with non-urgent needs to other care options, including increased community nursing and extended virtual care services.
Measures include:
- Expanding the paramedic-led clinical telephone assessment service with additional clinicians in July to help manage Triple Zero (000) calls and help patients access alternative care if appropriate.
- Opening more than an extra 160 hospital beds this year. This includes the 24-bed transitional care service opened this month at the Pullman Hotel in the CBD, 12 new acute surgical beds at Lyell McEwin Hospital, 24 medical and surgical beds at the QEH, and 48 general medical and mental health beds at Noarlunga Hospital.
- Opening an extra 21 treatment bays in emergency departments and recruiting 35 more paramedics and six ambulance officers in mid-2025.
- Promoting vaccination including against the flu especially for vulnerable groups.
This is all designed to increase capacity and improve patient flow, freeing up beds and ambulances.
There are currently 257 aged care patients stuck in our metro hospitals ready for discharge but awaiting a federal aged care placement. This compares to 155 patients at the same time last year.
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There were also 25 per cent more long stay patients in hospital (equivalent to 114 beds) in February compared to the same time last year.
Over the past six months ambulances spent 2,024 fewer hours on the ramp compared to the same period last year.
In February, ambulances spent 3,981 hours ramped outside metro hospitals – a 28 per cent reduction compared to July.
The Winter Demand Plan 2025 can be found here on the SA Health website.
Full ramping data, including a hospital-by-hospital breakdown, can be found here.
As put by Chris Picton
It's great to see our new 24-bed mental health rehabilitation unit for the western suburbs taking shape.
It will provide better and more appropriate care for people with mental health needs while freeing up hospital beds for others.
Our Winter Demand Plan is full of initiatives like adding extra beds to the system and diverting patients who don't need to be in emergency departments to better care options.
We are working hard to build a bigger and better health system for South Australians, in stark contrast to the former Liberal government which failed to invest in health and made hundreds of nurses redundant.
As put by Department for Health and Wellbeing Chief Executive Officer Dr Robyn Lawrence
Our hospitals are busy year-round but during winter we see more people needing hospital care.
This rise in demand can present challenges, including longer wait times, delays in accessing beds and sometimes extended stays for people with more complex health needs.
There was unprecedent demand on hospitals in 2024, including a rise in respiratory illness such as influenza, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus.
The number of cases of influenza and whooping cough this year is already higher than the same time last year and is expected to increase. We will be promoting vaccination programs for influenza and the RSV maternal and infant protection program ahead of winter.
