Worry over helipad link
Doctors query intensive care location
THE doctors’ lobby has called for the Royal Hobart Hospital’s intensive care unit to be moved to the new K-Block to allow faster transfers for patients arriving by helicopter.
The current plan has the RHH’s intensive care unit remaining in the existing hospital on Argyle St instead of in KBlock under the redeveloped hospital’s new helipad.
Australian Medical Association president John Davis congratulated the Government on funding the helipad and described its construction as “a very good move”.
But he said he was concerned about the “circuitous route” to intensive care.
“The helipad is a very good thing, it’s very important for Tasmanians, but our view is in- tensive care could be in a better position,” Dr Davis said.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the Government was “open minded” about the future layout of the hospital.
“We are following doctors’ calls that I received as new minister in 2014 — ‘please minister put the helipad back into the redevelopment’ — we have got very clear advice that will save lives, potentially up to nine lives per year,” he said.
“I have very clear advice that the process of taking people from the helipad to the ICU or the emergency department or a trauma surgical theatre is minutes. That’s far better than the 40 minutes and sometimes longer it sometimes takes with a helicopter landing off site at the Domain.”
Labor health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said it was critical for the Government to get the hospital layout right.
“If that means that we need to take a step back and make sure we have the best possible design in place with the input of doctors, then we would support that,” Ms Lovell said.
The Mercury recently asked for an explanation of how a patient arriving via helicopter at K-Block would be transported to other parts of the hospital.
RHH redevelopment spokesman Ben Moloney said: “There will be 12 more lifts within K-Block including two that will be programmed to take patients … from the helipad directly to the clinical area they need such as the theatres on level 4 of K-Block.
“Linkways are being installed to connect level 4 KBlock with the existing theatres in D-Block, Short Stay Surgery in C-Block and Endoscopy in A-Block.”