Construction is underway on the largest expansion in the history of Flinders Medical Centre, which will include a new eye clinic combining outpatient and surgical services under one roof for the first time in South Australia’s public health system. The clinic will be part of a 98-bed, seven-level Acute Services Building within a $498 million upgrade jointly funded by the Malinauskas and Albanese Labor governments. The investment will also expand the hospital and the Repat by 160 beds, improving capacity across Adelaide’s south.
The new Flinders Eye Centre will integrate ophthalmology services for adults and children, covering conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal and diabetic eye disease, supported by optometry and orthoptic care. Consolidating services in one purpose-built facility aims to increase efficiency, reduce patient transfers, and allow the day surgery unit to handle more complex procedures, while providing a more accessible and comfortable environment for patients. The Centre currently treats around 25,000 outpatients and performs 2,000 surgeries annually.
The Acute Services Building, scheduled to open in 2028, will also include an 18-bay Day Unit with podiatry services, four new operating theatres, a 16-bed Intensive Care Unit, and two 32-bed Adult Inpatient Units. During construction, the project will employ around 3,000 staff, peaking at 450, and will require 9,600 cubic metres of concrete and 1,300 tonnes of reinforcing steel. Community members helped choose the building’s façade colours, with ochre, soft purple and blue receiving majority support.
Two long-serving nurses, Helen Fuss and Justin Prendergast, are being honoured by having their names displayed on two 40-metre-high cranes. Both have dedicated over 40 years to Flinders, with Helen now Nurse Unit Manager of the 5C surgical ward and Justin recently retired after leadership roles.
Chris Picton highlighted that the project will provide more beds and better care for the growing population in Adelaide’s south, while Louise Miller-Frost described the additional 98 beds as a game-changer for the region. SALHN CEO Kerrie Mahon praised the retention of staff like Helen and Justin, and Helen Fuss expressed pride at being recognised alongside her colleague. The expansion is part of wider developments across SALHN, including the Margaret Tobin Centre Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit and the Noarlunga Hospital expansion, both expected to improve care for the community.
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