Palmerston Regional Hospital – Preparing for Services

26 Sep 2017

The Territory Labor Government has announced the services that will be on offer at Palmertson Regional Hospital (PRH) next year. The Minister for Health Natasha Fyles said PRH is on track to open mid 2018 with furnishings, fittings and equipment already being procured.

“Palmerston and rural Darwin residents want and deserve access to high quality services and this new hospital – the first to be built in Darwin for more than 40 years – will provide that,” Ms Fyles said.

“The $170 million facility is jointly funded by the Northern Territory & Australian Governments and will operate as a campus of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH).  

“RDH will be instrumental in supporting the services delivered at PRH and will remain the Top End’s only tertiary hospital providing major emergency, specialist and critical care services for Territorians.

“Lead medical, nursing and allied health and support staff have been involved in a detailed planning process, determining what services can safely be provided when the new hospital opens.”

New hospital’s services

The new hospital will open in July 2018, providing:

• an emergency department operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• a state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation service, with existing patients transferring from RDH
• non-urgent planned day surgery operating Monday to Friday, for patients who are scheduled on RDH waiting list
• general medical ward with a mix of twin and single bedrooms all with windows, an ensuite bathroom and television
• maternity services including antenatal and postnatal care (full birth services will not be available on opening)
• inpatient and outpatient geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) services, starting with 16 inpatients moving from RDH to a purpose-built patient-focused environment
• outpatient clinics closer to home, and telehealth care for rural patient

“Clinical services will increase over the hospitals first 18 months, providing more inpatient beds in rehabilitation, general medical, GEM, maternity services, and elective surgery.

“Rehabilitation services will continue to grow including with the construction of a hydrotherapy pool in 2018/19.”

The hospital will see and treat thousands of Top End residents working in combination with Royal Darwin to provide a high level of care tailored to the patient.

Since February 2017, the project has seen an average of 250 staff working on the site, peaking at around 300 in July 2017.

Info: Media Release, Natasha Fyles, MInister for Health