Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service has opened its new Emergency Department Short Stay Unit, part of a wider $24 million upgrade to the hospital.
The $8 million facility adds six beds for patients who are clinically stable and expected to be discharged within 24 hours. The aim is to ease pressure on the Emergency Department, improve patient flow and reduce waiting times, while maintaining capacity for urgent cases. The unit is staffed around the clock and includes a new staff station, consulting space and an accessible bathroom. There is scope for three additional beds in the future.
Further works are continuing at the hospital, including construction of a six-bed Mental Health Sub Acute and Rehabilitation Service and a two-bed Drug and Alcohol Unit. Both are due to be completed in November and will double the hospital’s mental health bed capacity while introducing a medically managed inpatient withdrawal service.
Health Minister Chris Picton said the expansion marks an important step in strengthening services for the region. “Today’s opening of Mount Gambier Hospital’s new Emergency Department Short Stay Unit is an important day for the people of the Limestone Coast,” he said. “The Malinauskas Government has delivered a much-needed expansion of the Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service’s emergency department, but we aren’t stopping here.”
Local MP Clare Scriven welcomed the upgrade, describing it as a boost to health care across the community. “As a local resident myself, I know how important these upgrades are for our local community,” she said. “Enhancing the Emergency Department by establishing this Short Stay Unit is a great initiative, in addition to the new mental health and rehabilitation service beds and the drug and alcohol withdrawal services which are on the way.”
Emma Poland, Chief Executive Officer of the Limestone Coast Local Health Network, said the works align with the network’s commitment to improving patient experience. “We are dedicated to providing safe, quality, and sustainable healthcare options across our Limestone Coast communities, with a newly developed ED SSU Model of Care to be implemented at the Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service,” she said.
Other parts of the hospital upgrade have already been completed. SA Pathology has expanded its on-site service with two new collection rooms, while the chemotherapy unit will add two new treatment chairs before the end of the year.
The nearby Mount Gambier Ambulance Station is also being upgraded, with expanded garage facilities and improved storage and parking. The work is due to finish by year’s end, following the government’s recruitment of 12 new career paramedics and six Regional Medical Transfer Service staff last year.
The hospital redevelopment, managed by Mossop Construction + Interiors, represents the first major investment at the site since 2018.
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