The new Royal Adelaide Hospital reaches its peak

The new Royal Adelaide Hospital is celebrating another significant milestone following the completion of the hospital’s ten-storey structure.

Premier Jay Weatherill said a large pine tree had been placed on the highest point of the hospital to signify the important achievement, known as ‘topping out’.

“The new Royal Adelaide Hospital is the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken in South Australia,” Mr Weatherill said.

“More than 155,000 cubic metres of concrete has been laid to build the hospital’s structure, which is three times the amount used to construct the Empire State Building in New York City.

“This gives you a taste of the sheer size and scale of the new hospital.

“The new Royal Adelaide Hospital will be a key feature of our State’s health care system and a cornerstone of the broader health and medical research precinct on North Terrace.

“It has been designed to ensure all South Australians have access to cutting edge, high quality and flexible health care, well into the future.”

Health Minister Jack Snelling said once completed, the new hospital is expected to care for more than 80,000 same-day and overnight admissions per year, an increase of nearly 30% compared to the current inpatient level at the RAH.

“The Emergency Department will be capable of treating approximately 25% more patients every year than the existing hospital,” Mr Snelling said.

“We have seen with the pressure our health system has been under with the current flu season, how important a bigger state-of-the-art hospital will be for all South Australians.

“This is the same hospital the Liberal Party has continually opposed and the Shadow Health Minister Stephen Wade has even labelled it ‘unneccesary’.

Mr Snelling said new initiatives such as admitting some patients directly into the service they need rather than through the Emergency Department and a separate mental health entrance, would also help reduce waiting times.

“The focus now was to continue developing the new models of care with staff and key groups to ensure the move to the new hospital will be as efficient and smooth as possible for staff, patients and their families,” he said.

Source: News Release, Premier Jay Weatherill Minister Jack Snelling, Monday, 29 September, 2014

http://www.premier.sa.gov.au/images/news_releases/14_09Sep/rahtoppingout.pdf