Toowoomba & Bundaberg Hospitals
P2P have been instrumental in the early development of business cases for both major redevelopments proposed for Bundaberg and Toowoomba Hospitals. Bundaberg Hospital has been experiencing significant service and infrastructure pressure, driven by a growing population that, relative to Queensland, is significantly older, more socioeconomically disadvantaged and has higher rates of complex chronic disease.
Forecast demand for services, particularly with respect to elective surgery and emergency department, is forecast to outstrip supply more than it already does, and this has flow on impacts increasing pressure and demand on other HHSs.
Bundaberg Hospital Redevelopment.
We led the Bundaberg Hospital Redevelopment Gate 1 PBC submission for Building Queensland in 2019, and as part of the options process assessed a range of non-infrastructure and infrastructure solutions.
Three shortlisted options were identified – one around repurposing the existing infrastructure on the existing site, and building new where required, and two around constructing a new purpose-built facility (one on an existing site, and one on a greenfield site). Significant work went in to assessing the viability and value for money of the repurpose existing option. The existing site is located on a flood plain and bordered by a river.
Given the cost of building on a new site, it was imperative to provide a detailed analysis of the true impacts of the repurpose option - the staging required, the significant operational impacts, and the flow-on impacts with respect to cost, workforce retention, design life and flood risks. P2P, cognizant of the government’s preference to not build on a new site but also aware of the severe limitations of building on the existing site, worked to deliver a comprehensive assessment of the risk, issues and considerations for each option, and present them in a compelling, evidence-based manner that supported the argument for the WBHHS preferred option.
Since the approval of the Gate 1 submission, we have continued to support the project and were engaged in a design management role for the DBC which was completed and submitted to government in 2020.
For both Toowoomba and Bundaberg projects, we developed exciting project videos to support the business case. Below we highlight our general use of these videos, but if you’re interested in watching the video, we can provide a commercial-in-confidence version.
Toowoomba Hospital Redevelopment.
Toowoomba Hospital (TH) is the region’s hub hospital supporting all hospitals and aged care facilities in the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service (DDHHS) region. Due to significant increases in healthcare demand in the region, DDHHS identified the need for a new or redeveloped facility to replace the TH.
A PBC was developed by P2P and considered by the IRC in December 2016. The IRC endorsed the progression of the Project. The DBC was completed in Sept 2020 and provides for the delivery of a 640 bed (approx.) predominantly level 5 hospital on the BHH site and the relocation of all clinical service provision from the existing TH. The DBC for the TH project was required to navigate a number of challenges and complexities including:
Establishment of project scope including resolution of variables including staging requirements, planning horizon, design level and budget parameters.
Capital affordability of a major level 5 greenfield hospital in the current fiscal environment.
Staging analysis required by the government to investigate delivery of the reference project in two or more stages.
Workforce planning and recurrent affordability to deliver a sustainable facility and secures the workforce necessary to increase capacity and capability in a regional setting.
Undertaking complex clinical planning in a COVID-19 environment, incorporating best practice lessons learned.