Plans for a new hospital as alternative to redeveloping the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) are to be looked at again, the State Government has said.
The Tasmanian Government has commissioned an expert taskforce to review plans to redevelop the RHH which will reconsider building a new hospital on a different site.
Under the proposal, a 500-bed hospital would be built on Queen’s Domain near the cenotaph in addition to a five-star hotel and war museum.
It would cost the state $2.4 billion, but the Government initially baulked at the project because of the expense and timing concerns.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson revealed the Government had asked experts to investigate the plan.
“Purely on the basis that the project has been described as shovel ready and will save, I think the promoters would say that is saves, tens of millions of dollars a year to the taxpayer,” he said.
“We’re simply saying that we’re willing to test the feasibility of those assertions.”
Tasmania’s doctors’ lobby welcomed the Government’s decision to investigate building a new hospital.
Associate Professor Tim Greenaway from the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Medical Association said: “We welcome these comments.
“This is not withstanding and irrespective of findings of the rescue taskforce.
“The scale and scope of the Domain project is such that it needs to be considered seriously and we welcome the Minister’s comments.”
The hospital redevelopment taskforce is due to hand its final report to the Government at the end of the month.