Media Release

Premier unveils Royal Women's project

11 April 2005
 
Victorian Premier Steve Bracks and Health Minister Bronwyn Pike today visited The Royal Melbourne Hospital to announce the consortium chosen to build the new Royal Women's Hospital.

The successful bidder was the Royal Women's Health Partnership consortium, comprising project sponsor Bilfinger Berger, builder Baulderstone Hornibrook, financier Macquarie Bank and architects DWI.

The new Royal Women's Hospital will be located next to the RMH City Campus. Work on the $250 million project has started, with the demolition of the Charles Connibere Building now underway. The new Royal Women's is expected to open its doors to patients by mid-2008.

'The relocation of the RWH to the Connibere building site, on the corner of Grattan Street and Flemington Road, will bring together two of Melbourne's icon hospitals - the Royal Melbourne and the Royal Women's,' Mr Bracks said.

'The great advantage will be in having these two great hospitals right next to each other, which will lead to development of joint medical services in a range of areas such as breast screening, gynaecology, oncology and emergency services.

'The co-location also improves safety for obstetric patients through immediate access to advanced medical expertise and the specialist care available from the RMH intensive care unit.'

The two hospitals would retain their own identities, with separate boards, governance and clinical independence.

Melbourne Health Board Chairman, Professor David Karpin, said Melbourne Health was looking forward to welcoming the Royal Women's Hospital to the precinct in 2008.

'Melbourne Health has been a strong and enthusiastic supporter of the relocation of the Royal Women's Hospital to the Parkville Precinct because of the synergies that exist between two of Victoria's oldest and proudest hospitals, the benefits to our communities and the opportunities to enhance the international reputation of the Precinct as a centre for health care, research and development,' Professor Karpin said.

'The reputation of both hospitals in the areas of cancer treatment and research is but one example of where collaboration will benefit the Victorian community and provide further opportunities for development.'

End of an era for former Nurses' Home

Professor Karpin noted the announcement also marked two major milestones for Melbourne Health. The first was the completion of a very successful $42 million enabling works project which provided new or refurbished facilities within the main RMH building to allow for the demolition of the Charles Connibere Building.

The second was the end of an era and the role the Charles Connibere Building played in the lives of RMH nurses. Attending the announcement were a number of current Royal Melbourne nurses who called the Charles Connibere Building their home during their training days.

'The Charles Connibere Building enjoys a special place in the history of the RMH as it was the Nurses' Home from the 1940s through until the late 1980s when it became more common for nurses to live off campus,' Professor Karpin said.

'To record some of the secrets that these old walls hold, we will be establishing a memory book, and inviting former residents to record their recollections of their time at the Nurses' Home. I would like to welcome former residents who are able to join us here today and look forward to reading your stories. I dare say they will provide some very interesting reading.'