The first phase of construction has begun on Perth’s new Women and Babies Hospital.
Artists’ impressions of the new facility have been released to coincide with the beginning of the work.
Premier Roger Cook described site preparations at the Fiona Stanley Hospital precinct as an important milestone in the government’s commitment to delivering contemporary healthcare infrastructure for WA.
The hospital will replace the century-old King Edward Memorial Hospital.
The state government said the12-storey design was centred on supporting the many dimensions of women’s health and wellbeing.
“It aims to create a space that delivers high-quality clinical care, encourages family connection, and provides spaces for quiet reflection,” it said in a statement.
The 274-bed hospital will include inpatient facilities for gynaecology and maternity patients; a neonatology unit for newborns needing specialised care; operating theatres; a family birth centre; and outpatient clinics.
The first phase of construction involves removing existing asphalt and levelling the site to lay the foundations for the new hospital.
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These early works follow several months of ground testing, providing insights into site conditions to inform main works construction.
In addition to the hospital the project, budgeted to cost $1.8billion, includes two new multi-deck car parks delivering 2500 bays within the Fiona Stanley Hospital precinct, a major expansion of Osborne Park Hospital, and an expansion of neonatal services at Perth Children’s Hospital.
The location of the hospital has been widely questioned within the medical community.
AMA (WA) has expressed concern that failing to co-locate the new hospital with the Perth Children’s Hospital, as originally planned, could cause unacceptable risk of death and disability in newborns.
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has also opposed the plans.
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Health Minister Meredith Hammat said the project would deliver modern, purpose-built facilities to meet the needs of the community.
“This hospital will support complex and efficient clinical operations, but it’s also been designed with holistic healthcare in mind,” she said.
“The goal is to create a space that meets medical needs while also supporting the emotional and personal wellbeing of everyone who uses it.”
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