Beds are being boosted in Adelaide's south to ease pressure on the health system, with a key mental health facility to be expanded by more than 25 per cent and another 25 hospital beds obtained from the private system.
Flinders Medical Centre's mental health inpatient facility, the Margaret Tobin Centre, is set to undergo a major redevelopment – increasing bed numbers from 38 to 48, including a 12-bed Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
The expansion is part of a $400 million redevelopment jointly funded 50/50 by the state and federal governments that will see 160 extra beds delivered across FMC and the Repat.
Plans are being finalised on the $30 million Margaret Tobin Centre upgrade following extensive consultation with clinicians and consumers, and SALHN's Aboriginal Stakeholder Reference Group.
Artist impressions reveal a first glimpse of how the upgraded centre will look – with materials and colour palettes for walls and flooring selected to create a home-like feel rather than an institutional or clinical environment.
The new PICU will include two six-bed wings, with three private family meeting rooms, one large enough to accommodate extended family groups.
There will also be a de-escalation room, courtyard, and dining area adjacent a secure kitchen.
The beds will also provide more resources to manage those presenting to the ED with acute mental health conditions.
Design Worldwide Partnership Architects are leading design on the project, with construction works expected to start early next year and be completed by mid-2025.
Meanwhile, an extra 25 beds have been brought online to ease demand on hospitals in Adelaide's south under a new partnership with Calvary.
The Calvary Hospital Adelaide beds are for patients who would otherwise have been admitted to Flinders Medical Centre or Noarlunga Hospital, with the South Australian Ambulance Service and SA Virtual Care Service transferring people as required. Patients may also be transferred from a SALHN ward to Calvary.
Artist impressions of the Margaret Tobin Centre project can be found here.
As put by Chris Picton
It's great to see plans progressing on the redevelopment and expansion of the Margaret Tobin mental health centre which will boost bed capacity by more than 25 per cent.
It will help more people in Adelaide's south get the acute mental health care they need in a purpose-fit centre.
This is an important element of the $400 million jointly funded project by the state and federal governments to inject an extra 160 beds across Flinders and the Repat.
The extra 25 public beds being made available at Calvary will boost inpatient capacity when our hospitals are experiencing high demand.
As put by Federal Member for Boothby Louise Miller-Frost
Residents in Adelaide's south deserve the very best healthcare and that's why the Federal Government has partnered with the South Australian Government to provide such a big bed boost for the southern suburbs.
The upgraded and expanded Margaret Tobin Centre will provide important acute mental health inpatient care for our most vulnerable residents.
We are committed to doing all we can to improve health services for our southern suburbs' communities.
As put by SAHLN Chief Executive Officer Professor Kerrie Freeman
Thank you to Calvary for partnering with us to deliver more beds for the South while we work to build new beds as quickly as we can.
It is exciting for staff, consumers and carers to see designs for the Margaret Tobin Centre expansion, and we can't wait to see the plans come to life.
As put by SALHN Clinical Director Mental Health Services Dr Michael Nance
The upgraded Margaret Tobin Centre will provide a contemporary environment to build on the high-quality treatment already provided.
One in four people will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. The expanded service will provide additional care for people when they need it. We know that with good, timely care people can, and do, recover from mental health illness.
As put by Calvary SA Regional Chief Executive Sharon Kendall
Calvary has a proud history of supporting the SA community and a long-standing valued relationship with SA Health. We work in a collaborative partnership to enhance access to quality care across a number of our facilities and services, including hospitals, home care and virtual care.
This agreement between Calvary Adelaide Hospital and SALHN is part of our broader contribution to support the SA community and we look forward to continuing to provide high quality care to those we serve.
