Decanting Plan
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Introduction
Relocating services is not an unusual business requirement of hospital management however the decanting required to build K-Block is detailed.
This is because of the number and sequencing of moves, and the breadth of refurbishments necessary including the removal of hazardous materials. Additionally, it must all take place on an operational hospital site.
Service Relocations
The decanting plan for the construction methodology proposed by the Taskforce requires 19 service relocations.
This would involve the relocation of three services to offsite locations: the 1 800 mental health hotline from Mistral Place to make way for the clozapine clinic and the relocation of the rehabilitation unit to the Peacock Building at the Repatriation Centre, Davey Street, Hobart.
A small number of relocations also occurred prior to the commissioning of the Taskforce.
A critical feature of the decanting plan is the construction of a 3 000 m², temporary building in the Liverpool Street forecourt above the main entrance and drop-off point of the RHH.
This would allow acute mental health patients and the Acute Older Persons' Unit (AOPU) to remain onsite, negating the significant clinical risk associated with moving these patients offsite.
It would also relocate mental health longer stay inpatients from the immediate construction site, significantly reducing the day to day disruption they would have experienced if they had remained in
B-Block under the two stage methodology.
Figure 1 RHH with temporary facility above the Liverpool Street forecourt
The Department of Psychiatric Medicine would be located on level 1 of the temporary building with Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and general and women's surgical inpatients on level 2. The AOPU would remain in A-Block.
The temporary facility would provide a minimum of 29 mental health beds including five PICU beds, and seclusion and de-escalation areas. It would also include a minimum of 21 surgical beds and a plant room. The facility would have access directly into C-Block at levels 2 and 3 enabling lift access to the emergency department and other clinical services.
The Liverpool Street RHH entrance would be closed during the construction of the temporary facility, and disassembly and relocation after K-Block is commissioned. The temporary facility can be dismantled and relocated or sold once it was no longer needed.
Table 1 shows the key clinical service and offices, their current location and the proposed new locations for these services to allow the decanting and demolition of B-Block and construction of K-Block.
A number of other minor and short-term decants of administrative and other spaces would also be required.
Implementation
The decanting plan would take approximately 12 months to implement.
Coordinated communications between THO-South, the project team, and the Managing Contractor would be essential.
Consultation was a feature of the decanting plans developed by THO - South earlier this year and then again for the base case proposals used in the construction methodology risk assessment commissioned by the Taskforce. This process also sought advice on the issues and risks related to the decanting plans.
The Taskforce noted that while consultation involved representative staff groups, further and broader consultation with staff focusing on the effective implementation of the approved decanting plan may be required. Specifically, THO - South have an agreement with industrial organisations to develop formal change proposals to ensure that change and project management is systematically implemented.
Table 1 - Key Service Relocations During Construction
| Service | Current Location | Service Relocation During Construction |
|---|---|---|
| Clozapine Clinic (outpatients) | Lower Ground, B-Block, opening onto Campbell Street | Ground Floor, Mistral Place, Liverpool Street |
| Mental Health – Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) | Lower Ground, B-Block, opening onto Campbell Street | Level 2, temporary building, Liverpool Street forecourt (access to Level 3, C-Block) |
| Mental Health – Department of Psychiatric Medicine | Ground Floor, B-Block | Level 1, B-Block North |
| General Medicine, Respiratory and Infectious Diseases Inpatients | Level 1, temporary building, Liverpool Street forecourt (access to Level 2, C-Block) | Level 9, A-Block plus open additional beds in the APU on Lower Ground, H-Block |
| Iodine Therapy Inpatients (2 rooms) | Level 1, B-Block North | Level 6, A-Block* |
| Q-Class Rooms | Level 1, B-Block North | Level 1, H-Block (DCCM) |
| Sub-Specialty Medicine Inpatients | Level 1, B-Block South (B-Tail) | Level 7, A-Block |
| Rehabilitation Unit including the Rehabilitation Gym | Level 7, A-Block | Level 2, Peacock Building, Repatriation Centre, 90 Davey Street |
| General and Women's Surgical Inpatients | Level 2, B-Block North | Level 2, temporary building, Liverpool Street Forecourt (access to Level 3, C-Block) |
| Stomal Therapy | Level 2, B-Block North | Level 4, C-Block |
| Orthopaedic Inpatients | Level 2, B-Block South | Level 5, A-Block (with Surgical Specialties) |
| High Volume Short Stay (HVSS) | Level 5, A-Block | Level 4, C-Block North (Becomes Extended Day Surgery) |
| Day of Surgery Admissions (DOSA) | Level 4, C-Block North | Level 4, C-Block South |
| Neurology Offices, Neurophysiology Offices, Endocrinology Offices | Level 3, B-Block | Level 3, C-Block |
| Pre-Operative Surgical Interventions (POSI) and Spinal Assessment Centre (SAC) | Level 3, B-Block | Level 2, H-Block |
| Ambulatory Care Centre (ACC) | Level 4, B-Block | Level 2, C- and D-Block |
| Acute Renal Dialysis | Level 4, B-Block | Lower Ground, A-Block (Transit Lounge) |
| Cardiothoracic and Cardiology Offices | Level 2, C- and D-Blocks | Level 2, C-Block |
| Cardiac Rehabilitation Gym | Level 2, C- and D-Blocks | Level 2, H-Block |
*A variation to the location of Iodine Therapy Inpatients is currently under consideration. The proposed decanting plan may be amended to move this service to Inpatient Oncology Level 2, A-Block.