Fiona Stanley Hospital – WA’s Biggest Health Infrastructure Project

[hr]At a cost of $2 billion, the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Western Australia is the biggest health infrastructure project undertaken in WA. Commencing in 2009, construction of the hospital was completed late last year, and preparations are now underway to begin the phased opening in October 2014. [hr]
Recently, more than 3000 people were provided access to the building at the hospital’s first open day, and to ensure the hospital is operational by October there has been an extensive range of scenario tests representing different clinical events.
Australian Hospital and Healthcare Bulletin asked Geoff Zimmer, Director Project Delivery about the hospital’s design and development.

Who was responsible for the design and fit out of the FSH?

Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) has been built by the WA State Government with assistance from the Federal Government.
A consortium of design firms comprising Silver Thomas Hanley, Hassell and Hames Sharley, have been responsible for delivering the health planning, architecture, landscape architecture and interior design for FSH.
Brookfield Multiplex was responsible for full project management, design, construction, testing, commissioning and transition support under a Managing Contractor delivery model.

Has the recruitment phase begun? 

Yes, we have already appointed a significant number of our clinical leadership positions and staff are also moving to FSH from Fremantle and Royal Perth Hospitals.

The hospital is going to open in four stages: Can you tell us about the systematic opening? 

FSH will begin operations in October 2014 as a specialist hospital. This phase will see the relocation of patients from the Royal Perth Hospital Shenton Park campus to the 140-bed State rehabilitation service at FSH.
Phase two of FSH commissioning is scheduled to commence in November and December 2014. During this phase, FSH will commence selected clinical operations within the main hospital, whilst ensuring that there is limited disruption to existing services at Fremantle Hospital or Royal Perth Hospital.
Phase three of FSH commissioning is scheduled to commence in February 2015, and will see FSH advance to a tertiary hospital level of service provision. This phase is the largest and most complex phase as it involves the transfer of inpatients to the main hospital, and the opening of high acuity units such as the emergency department, intensive care unit, coronary care unit, operating theatres, State burns service and other associated tertiary services.
The fourth and final phase of commissioning will see the transfer of specialist and quaternary hospital services including heart and lung transplant services. At this point FSH will provide the full spectrum of designated services.

 
 

How will Fiona Stanley Hospital’s ICT systems be tested to ensure they are fully functional? 

The FSH ICT system has been developed to create a platform for future growth. This means applying an ICT solution that will enable the provision of safe clinical care on opening, but will also allow the hospital to develop over time in line with technology. The ICT system will integrate medical equipment and other devices across the hospital and will also enable enhancements in automated medication management.
Patient safety is our absolute priority so we have established an ICT test lab in a training ward on the site which enables us to test all of the services and programs required at FSH with WA Health staff in a real-life clinical environment. The FSH Induction and Orientation Program is focused on three categories; environment, equipment (including ICT) and patient management. This extensive program will ensure that clinicians complete what is personally relevant for their needs in relation to working safely and providing safe, quality patient care and service.

Will there be new medical equipment that is unique to FSH? 

FSH will feature a range of new and innovative medical equipment that will provide safer, faster and more comfortable care to patients. For example, examinations will be completed more easily due to the increased flexibility of the hospital’s seven new digital x-ray machines. That means less movement of patients and a lower x-ray dose; particularly beneficial in the emergency environment. Paediatric imaging will also be faster and more patient-friendly using the hospital’s four state-of-the-art CT scanners. Children can be imaged without sedation, anaesthetic or controlled breathing, meaning they will be less anxious and more relaxed. The hospital’s new CT scanners for FSH will take just 250 milliseconds, quarter of a heartbeat, to image the heart.

How much of the new technology and equipment has been sourced from within Australia? 

The Fiona Stanley Hospital team has purchased medical equipment from local, national and international medical equipment specialists to ensure that the new public hospital gets the best possible equipment.

What does the hospital’s fit out review and maintenance program entail? 

Fiona Stanley Hospital has an Australian-first managed equipment service, which manages all equipment concerns, including provision, purchase, installation and commissioning, user training, asset management, maintenance and ongoing replacement.