For the first time, clinical services will be located under one roof in a purpose design building to support contemporary models of care. The building and landscape plan take advantage of the site’s orientation to bring natural light into the hospital and provide views of the surrounding landscape.

The 3-storey building features;

• Lower Ground Floor – Administration, medical records and pathology laboratory
• Ground floor – Main entrance, emergency, medical imaging, pharmacy, renal, oncology (cancer care), Hospital in the Home, clinics and outpatient rehabilitation gym. There will also be a cafe and Hospital Auxiliary kiosk.
• First floor - Operating theatres, intensive care, maternity, special care nursery and paediatrics inpatient units.
• Second floor – Aged care and rehabilitation, surgical and medical inpatients units.

Other key features include:

• Direct clinical linkage with St Vincent’s Private Community Hospital (SVPCH) to promote sharing of services.
• Dedicated access and entry for emergency vehicles and deliveries.
• Co-location of non-clinical support services including stores, workshop, body hold, plant and waste in the completed Non Clinincal Services Building.
• Community-based services will be co-located within the Ambulatory Care Hub.

In addition, there will be new car parking, landscaping of the health campus and the remaining redundant buildings will be demolished at the conclusion of the project.

A temporary Renal Unit was completed in October 2018, increasing the capacity from 6 to 10 chairs. The renal service will be relocated to the new Hospital once it is completed.

The new Ambulatory Care Hub opened to the public in May 2020. Outpatient care services including oncology, specialist clinics, rehabilitation gymnasium, allied health and Hospital in the Home are delivered from this new building located on the Hospital campus.

Other works completed in 2020 include:

• an expansion to the Medical Services Building to incorporate additional support areas and storage in the Critical Care Unit and Perioperative areas
• expansions to improve functionality of the Medical and Surgical floors in the Inpatient Unit to the south of the building, including an inpatient rehabilitation gymnasium.

The Non Clinincal Services Building, temporary car park and Paediatric Unit were completed in 2021 as part of the Early and Enabling Works. 

ADCO was awarded the Main Works contract and construction of the Clinical Services Building commenced in 2022. The hospital redevelopment is due for completion in 2025.

Yes, expanded and accessible onsite car parking including dedicated drop off zones at the front of the hospital is included in the planning for the redeveloped Hospital campus.

A temporary car park was completed during the early and enabling works in 2021 to ensure current car parking numbers are maintained during the construction phase.

The redevelopment will include construction of a new Hospital Building, which will be built to the north of the campus. New services include Aged Care and Rehabilitation beds and an expanded emergency department and operating theatre.

Other enhancements include:

• An expanded ICU unit
• An expanded Emergency Department
• Expanded Post Anaesthesia Care Unit (Recovery) and expanded Day Surgery co-located within Perioperative Suite
• Expanded medical imaging department with new CT and Nuclear Medicine service
• Negative pressure isolation rooms in each Inpatient Unit Patient and visitor lounges, and beverage bays, are located in all units throughout the hospital
• Three palliative care rooms, a family lounge and outdoor terrace in the inpatient unit

The Griffith Base Hospital redevelopment includes a model of care for people admitted with low complexity mental health needs who would benefit from a brief admission to Hospital for the purpose of respite or support during a situational crisis.

The new beds will complement the Griffith Community Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Service, which currently provides specialist mental health care for adults and adolescents that is close to home, accessible, personalised, evidence-based and recovery‑focused.

2025.

Feedback received through community consultation has indicated that traffic flow increases around the school on Warrambool St in the morning and afternoons during school terms.

A detailed traffic study was undertaken of the three streets surrounding the Hospital campus to understand traffic flows and incorporate this into the planning being undertaken to support the operation of the new Hospital.

A helipad is not part of the Griffith Base Hospital Redevelopment. All patient air transfers occur from Griffith Airport, which is five kilometres from the hospital. The majority of transfers out of Griffith Base Hospital to larger, tertiary facilities are by fixed wing aircraft that depart from the airport.
 

The Griffith Base Hospital Redevelopment is considered to be a State Significant Development. Lodgement of the SSDA is a planning requirement of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.

The SSDA was approved in October 2021.

The Redevelopment scope for every facility is unique and is determined by the Clinical Services Plan prepared by Murrumbidgee Local Health District.

Yes. All health services will remain operational throughout the construction. During the construction period, there may be changes to how people access the campus and health facilities.

Services will be transferred to the new building after construction is completed and operational commissioning undertaken in 2025.

Yes, there will continue to be a combination of onsite and offsite accommodation available for visiting families and relatives and staff.

A 99kw photovoltaic solar system was installed on the roof of the new Ambulatory Care Hub building in July 2020. These new panels further supplement the extensive solar power already installed on the existing Hospital’s main building. A photovoltaic solar system will be installed on the Clinical Services Building, currently under construction.

There will be a direct clinical linkage with St Vincent’s Private Community Hospital (SVPCH) to promote the existing shared support services.

Information sessions were held in late 2019 to enable everyone to comment on the concept design. Further community consultation was held to seek feedback on the development of the schematic design in mid-2020. Community participation in the planning process continued during the State Significant Development Application public exhibition period in early 2021. 

Communication and consultation will be ongoing through regular engagement with staff, clinicians, Local Health Advisory Committee, government authorities and many local stakeholders.

The existing buildings on the campus have reached the end of their useful life and no longer meet contemporary models in healthcare service. The redevelopment team is focused on providing the community with a modern hospital, therefore the majority of buildings will be demolished as part of the redevelopment, creating a fresh new look to the campus.

The Dental Clinic and Clinical Education and Training Centre will remain operational throughout and are not included in the scope of the Redevelopment.

New car parking and landscaping of the health campus will be the final stage of the redevelopment.

A rigorous town planning process is followed to support the development of the new Hospital; this is guided by state and local government legislation. As part of this process, a statement of heritage impact is undertaken to provide an assessment of the Hospital redevelopment’s likely impacts.
 

The Statement of Heritage Impact was undertaken in 2020 and assessed the redevelopment proposal against the heritage significance of the hospital. A detailed inventory of all buildings was undertaken which detailed the integrity and condition of all buildings. The history of the site and its use as a Hospital since the 1930s was also researched.

The Statement of Heritage Impact noted the Griffith Base Hospital developed around an original purpose-designed and built architectural hospital group from the mid-1930s. The report found that due to its long course of operation, multiple alterations and extensions, the Griffith Base Hospital has lost its design and technical integrity. Due to the ongoing changes to the site, the original form and function of the Hospital can no longer be discerned and the site does not contain heritage significance.

The report noted its significance lies in the site’s association with the Walter Burley Griffin design for the town of Griffith and its historical and social significance as the site of a primary healthcare facility for the city of Griffith and its rural hinterland since 1931. The report concluded that there is no objection to the demolition of the existing buildings and to the redevelopment of the site. It further stated that such redevelopment will ensure the ongoing use of the site as a hospital providing world class medical facilities.

The Heritage report made serval recommendations to remember the site’s historic and social significance:
• Archival recording of the buildings constructed c1930s be undertaken.
• Development of an interpretation strategy and plan of all historic information about the establishment and use of the hospital
• Protection and management of moveable heritage items for use in an interpretive display

These actions will ensure that the history and information about the site is maintained for the future and interpreted for public education. Future updates will be provided as the project progresses.