Calvary Hospital’s Bruce campus could expand, with a new facility planned. Photo: Melissa Adams
Calvary Health Care ACT has revealed plans for a new 100-bed private hospital on its Bruce campus.
Calvary’s new private hospital has been slated to open in 2017 and is expected to pave the way for public health services at the Bruce campus to be expanded.
It was anticipated the new private facility would likely be a 100-bed “stand-alone” hospital on the Calvary site in Bruce and would have increased “day only” capacity, Calvary Health Bruce chief executive Karen Edwards said.
Ms Edwards said the existing private hospital would be relocated to the new building, which would increase bed capacity in Calvary public hospital.
“I guess what it does is it gives people choice but it also expands the public hospital’s capacity to deliver services as well,” she said.
“We will also have additional operating theatre capacity and that means from an elective surgical waiting list perspective, our capacity to be able to work with ACT Health around that is enhanced by doing this.”
The announcement was welcomed by Health Minister Simon Corbell who said the “significant investment and commitment” would increase access to health services in the ACT.
“ACT Health has factored the use of these beds for public patients as part of its long term ongoing planning,” he said.
“Calvary’s investment will complement the ACT government’s commitment to planning for the future health care needs through a range of ways including the Health Infrastructure Program which will deliver the new University of Canberra Public Hospital and the Canberra Hospital redevelopment.”
Ms Edwards said the new university hospital would provide sub-acute services, which were not proposed as as part of the new Calvary private hospital.
She said a new private hospital would help cope with increased demand on the territory’s health system expected to be created by future growth and planned development and expansion in the north of Canberra.
“We have an existing private hospital, we also have a commitment and understanding with ACT Health around the expansion of the public hospital facilities on the northside and to be able to accommodate both of those (public and private), a new private hospital meets both of those needs,” Ms Edwards said.
“It also addresses the needs of a private hospital facility in terms of the amenities that we can’t address in the current building.”
She said planning for the new public hospital was “pretty well underway” and Calvary was working with ACT planning authorities.
The cost of the new hospital “is currently being explored”, Ms Edwards said.
“At the moment, we’ve got some conceptual drawings but nothing further than that at this stage,” she said.
A tender process for the University of Canberra Public Hospital will take place later this year.