New designs for the proposed University of Canberra (UC) Public Hospital at Bruce have been released by the ACT Government.
The 140-bed sub-acute hospital on the university campus will not include an emergency unit.
It will specialise in providing rehabilitation facilities, long-term accommodation for mental health clients and targeted services for people suffering from dementia.
ACT Heath Minister Simon Corbell said the hospital was important preparation for the future of healthcare in the territory.
“With the number of Canberrans aged 65 and over set to double between now and 2062, we need to be investing in facilities to provide rehabilitation and support suitable for that aging population,” he said.
“The design will assist people making the transition from acute care back in to their own homes or in to residential aged care, mental health supported care or a range of other healthcare settings.
“So it is very focused on providing unit-style accommodation for clients, it is also providing sensory areas for dementia patients and will link the delivery of sub-acute facilities with the research and specialisation at the University of Canberra for training healthcare professionals.”
Canberra’s third public hospital is intended to lighten the load on the emergency department facilities at nearby Calvary, and at Canberra Hospital at Woden.
“[It will allow] the Canberra Hospital to focus on its acute and trauma emergency role,” Mr Corbell said.
Construction on the territory’s first purpose-built sub-acute care hospital is expected to begin early next year and will take approximately a year to complete.
Consultation has opened for public comment on the proposed hospital designs.