The Marshall Liberal Government is today delivering on an election commitment made to the people of Adelaide’s western suburbs with a $4 million refurbishment of the cardiac catheterisation lab at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH) now underway.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Stephen Wade, said patients with heart conditions are set to benefit from new, world-class infrastructure and facilities in the much-needed upgrade to the cath lab.
“People want services as close to where they live as possible,” Minister Wade said.
“The upgrade will ensure that TQEH has the capacity to deal with cardiac emergencies with a cardiac cath lab available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“It will also ensure South Australia is well placed to respond to heart disease as we face a significant ageing of the population.
“The population of western Adelaide is one of the most elderly on mainland Australia. Treatment of heart disease will increasingly be a high priority in the area.
“The people of the western suburbs were let down by Labor – fobbed off with hollow promises and scaling back of services at TQEH. The Marshall Liberal Government is continuing to reverse the damage Transforming Health did to our state’s health system.
“This upgrade secures the future of the cardiac unit and forms a key part of the Marshall Liberal Government’s commitment to restore cardiac services at TQEH.”
The building works in the cath labs include significant structural and electrical changes and the purchase and installation of new equipment.
“TQEH is at the heart of health care in western suburbs, delivering world-class services, with strong links to teaching and learning and innovative research,” Minister Wade said.
“The upgrade is part of a $277 million redevelopment of TQEH that will improve our health services, ease pressure on our emergency departments and deliver care closer to home.
“We are investing in our clinicians, services and world-class infrastructure to better support the health and wellbeing of all South Australians.”
The $277 million redevelopment also includes a new multi-deck car park, with 500 spaces for patients and visitors.
The new Clinical Services Building will be home to new:
- Emergency Department
- Intensive Care Unit
- Outpatient clinics
- Operating theatres and day surgery suite
- Clinical support services such as medical imaging, pathology and pharmacy
- Rehabilitation services
Planning for the cath lab upgrades has been led by the TQEH redevelopment team, in conjunction with all treating clinical service staff.
Executive Director, Operations TQEH, Paul Lambert, said through his new leadership role for the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, extensive consultation will continue for the next stage of works, the new Clinical Services Building, due to start in late 2019.
“Engagement with clinical staff and the public will ensure TQEH redevelopment reflects the needs of the community now and into the future,” Mr Lambert said.
“The upgrade to state-of-the-art equipment in the cath labs will support best quality care and the new service model once refurbishment work is complete in mid-2019.”
