To respond to Canberra’s growing and ageing population and the increasing demand for health care services, the ACT Government is building a new northside hospital in Bruce.
The new northside hospital represents an investment of more than $1 billion and will be the largest single health infrastructure project to be delivered in the Territory’s history.
The new northside hospital will be built on the existing Calvary Hospital campus in Bruce. It will be owned by the ACT Government and operated by Canberra Health Services, delivering a more efficient and effective health system for Canberrans. It will be a modern, state-of-the-art hospital for patients, visitors and its workforce. It will provide more beds and increased services than are currently offered.
The ACT Government’s vision is for a person-centred health system that is accessible, accountable, and sustainable. There are many benefits for public hospitals in the ACT to be managed under one operator such as easier transition and management of patients between sites and greater opportunities to strengthen and build our health workforce.
Transitioning operations of the hospital to Canberra Health Services creates an opportunity to plan and deliver a health system networked under one provider – with the ability to make the largest ACT Government health infrastructure investment, strengthen workforce opportunities and co-ordinate services.
Working in close collaboration with Calvary Health Care ACT, the ACT Government will begin the process of transitioning the operator of the hospital to Canberra Health Services. We expect that Calvary will work with us throughout the transition period to ensure a smooth and safe transition, for operations under Canberra Health Services from Monday, 3 July 2023.
With construction to commence by mid-decade, the northside hospital will provide public health services to Canberrans for decades to come.
Background
In 2017-18, the ACT Government carried out a scoping study for expanded northside hospital facilities. Demand projections undertaken by the ACT Health Directorate showed the need for a significantly larger hospital on the northside than is currently provided at Calvary Public Hospital Bruce.
In 2020, a condition assessment of Calvary Public Hospital infrastructure was undertaken, along with an options analysis for the building of a new northside hospital. The options analysis recommended that a new northside hospital be built, rather than a remediation and expansion of the existing hospital.
The ACT Government committed in the 10th Parliamentary and Governing Agreement to plan and design a new northside hospital, with the aim to start construction by mid-decade.
In 2020, a Northside Hospital Project Team was established to:
- undertake scope and early design of the new northside hospital
- investigate the best location for the hospital.
On 31 May 2023, the Health Infrastructure Enabling Act 2023 passed in the Legislative Assembly.
The Act enables the ACT Government to acquire part of the land on which the Calvary Public Hospital sits in Bruce. It also enables the ACT Government to formally begin the process of transitioning the operation of the hospital to Canberra Health Services. This will be done in close collaboration with Calvary Health Care ACT.
Transition
To ensure a smooth and timely transition of services at the start of the new financial year, a Transition Team will oversee, coordinate, and implement transition of operations at the hospital.
The Transition Team will work closely with Calvary to develop a transition plan for the transfer of operations. A key component of this plan will be to focus on the critical activities that are required for 3 July 2023 and those which can be staged later in the transition period.
We appreciate that there is a lot of work to be done over the coming month and the Transition Team will provide all reasonable support to ensure Calvary can meet the obligations of the Act and to ensure a seamless transition. There are formalised processes that have been agreed to as part of the Act to assist with the transition and exchange of information. Our government Executives are working in close partnership with their Calvary counterparts to work through critical activities and information. For most team members, it is business as usual today, tomorrow and from 3 July.
During the transition period, Canberra Health Services aims to minimise disruption for staff, patients and carers.
If you have an appointment at Calvary Public Hospital before or after the 3 July you will continue to receive services as planned, unless contacted directly by Calvary or your healthcare provider. If you have questions, please call your healthcare provider.
For patients, carers and visitors, information is available at www.act.gov.au/northsidehospital. FAQs on this website will be updated regularly. For all general enquiries, please call Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
More information on the decision to transition operators is available at A New Northside Hospital.
Community Consultation
To help shape the early planning and design of a new northside hospital, ACT Health Directorate conducted community and stakeholder engagement activities during August - September 2022 (phase 1) and October - November 2022 (phase 2). These early engagement activities aimed to understand what the Canberra community wants and needs from a new northside hospital.
Feedback received during this early planning and design consultation was used to help inform options for the new hospital and funding decisions by the ACT Government. ACT Health Directorate is also engaging directly with clinicians to inform clinical planning, scope and early design for the new northside hospital.
This is just the beginning of our conversations with the community, stakeholders, and clinicians on the northside hospital, with more opportunities to have your say through future stages of the project.
For more information on community consultation, visit the YourSay website.
