The reactivation of the Repat has reached a landmark milestone with the completion and imminent opening of the first major facility on the site.
Works have been completed on C-Block to provide a fit-for-purpose home for the Southern Adelaide Older Persons Community Mental Health Team as they provide specialised care for consumers with mental illness living in the community.
Premier Steven Marshall said the newly refurbished C Block is a major step towards returning the Repat to a thriving health precinct, a significant step in the delivery of the Marshall Liberal Government's plan to revitalise the historic site.
"The Marshall Government is delivering on its commitment to deliver a thriving medical precinct at the Repat site," Premier Marshall said.
"While the former Labor Government cut services and closed the Repat, we are committed using the precinct to ensure South Australians receive the care they need, closer to home."
Minister for Health & Wellbeing, Stephen Wade said the revitalised Repat site will provide a significant boost to the state's health system.
"We know the Repat was a key pillar of care within the southern community for 75 years and through our work, we will ensure it continues to play a significant role in the health care needs of all South Australians now and into the future."
As a result of the refurbishments and construction being finalised, the Southern Adelaide Older Persons Community Mental Health Team will be able to move into a permanent home helping ensure mental health consumers receive the care they need, in the most appropriate surrounds.
With the renovations complete, Minister Wade said the community team will have the right tools to deliver better care to patients and will be collocated alongside the 78-bed HammondCare Dementia Care Home and the new 18-bed neurobehavioural unit, forming the state's first dementia village.
"We know the local community has a long-standing passion for the Repat, so with the upgrades we are ensuring the site continues to help families through difficult times and provide best practice care for years to come," Minister Wade said.
"In a time where there is an increasing demand for mental health services in the community, this permanent home will be able to provide the support that our patients deserve in a modern environment while reducing pressure on our emergency departments."
Southern Adelaide Local Health Network's Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of Unit for the Older Persons Mental Health Service, Dr Michael Page, said the new home for the community team will enable the best care for consumers.
"The fit-for-purpose building includes four fully refurbished consulting rooms, a positive work environment for our multidisciplinary team and brand new consumer amenities including a dedicated space for group programs that enhance recovery from episodes of mental illness," Dr Page said.
"In conjunction, the team will also use this facility as its base when it undertakes crucial work within the community by providing services within people's homes and other more supported places of residence.
"We are proud to be moving into our new home so we can continue to provide world-class mental health care to those older South Australians who need it most.
The Southern Adelaide Older Persons Community Mental Health Team will be moving into their new permanent work base over the next two weeks.
The HammondCare 78-bed Dementia Care Home will be built adjacent to provide care for people with varying stages of dementia, with works expected to commence in the first half of 2021.
