Mater Campus Hospital Development

Project Update: The new Emergency Department at the Mater opened on Sunday 17th February 2013. This brand new facility, accessed from Eccles Street, fully replaces the old ED. This significant milestone follows the opening of the new 436-space basement car park in January 2013, and the new Oncology Ward, with all single, en-suite bedrooms, in November 2012. The remaining wards will open in March 2013 following completion of the new operating theatres and Radiology Department. The new outpatients department, and state of the art catering and technical services, opened to the public in June 2012. Final works will be completed by the end of 2013.

This innovative hospital campus project will deliver a state of the art ‘intelligent’, ‘green’ hospital with 100% en suite single beds, enhanced departmental adjacencies, a public art programme and integrated building and nurse call systems.

The redevelopment includes 55,000m2 of new acute adult hospital services including a new emergency department, outpatients department, GI unit, 12 new theatres & ICU-HDU, radiology department, 134 new single en suite bedrooms and pharmacy. Non-clinical facilities include CSSD, catering & waste management departments, a new energy centre, educational and seminar facilities and 444 basement parking spaces. It also allows for the potential integration of a Paediatric Hospital and an Underground Metro Station.

The project will provide the Mater with significant additional capacity to service growing patient needs and reduce waiting times, as well as improving the physical environment and experience of using the hospital for everyone. 100% single rooms will help prevent the spread of infection and provide privacy, dignity and comfort for patients.

We are currently working with hospital users to ensure that the move to the new buildings runs smoothly. Our MCO Lean Soft Landings framework encourages hospital users to embrace and plan for the new technologies, departmental adjacencies, ensuite single beds, use of art / natural light / green spaces and the many other benefits provided by the new buildings through a change management programme.

HOSPITAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:
An ‘intelligent’ Information Technology infrastructure will support the most recent and future developments in patient care provision. A single converged IP network for voice, data, as well as applications for both a wired and wireless network will support a range of clinical and non-clinical devices. These include the nurse call systems, security system (access control, video surveillance, intercom and intruder alarm), the building management and the fire systems, along with all the current hospital medical applications.

SUSTAINABLE HOSPITAL:
The new hospital building seeks to ensure that the best and most innovative environmental practices are used and acts as a tool to help reduce running costs, improve working and living environments.

ART IN HEALTHCARE:
In line with the growing emphasis internationally on the contribution of the arts to the physical and psychological environment of healthcare institutions, an Arts & Environment programme contributes to the wider design process of the new hospital; and a range of works will be commissioned for the various spaces within the new buildings.

Image credits (top to bottom):
Courtesy of MCHD (images 1,4,5 and 6).
Aerial image courtesy of Sisk (image 8).
Photo of Contemplation Pod by Paul Farrell (image 10).