Staff consultation

Last updated 9 October 2008

In the wake of the news of clinicians' concerns over the planning of the new Orange and Bathurst hospitals, it's important that our staff and community understand the process underway with the redevelopment of Royal North Shore Hospital. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.

What is the plan for staff consultation?

A design will not be finalised until we have addressed the concerns of our clinicians and other staff and agreed on a way forward, but the consultation needs to be done in a planned and thorough way if we are to get the best possible result for our staff and patients.

The preferred tenderer for the project has been announced and the next round of user consultation, involving more than 200 clinical and support staff, is now underway.

Forty-seven individual groups of users are currently reviewing the schematic designs for each department. The user group members will be asked to review the designs proposed by the project company and, if necessary, refine and amend them to ensure that they meet the service's needs. It is hoped that most issues can be resolved at user group level.

This user group process has been established for every RNS department and service and there will also be user groups for hospital-wide issues such as infection control and disaster planning.

The user group representatives will be responsible for consulting with department staff and bringing their comments and concerns to the group meetings.

User groups provide a way for most hospital staff to participate in the final stage of the planning process.

The user groups will report to an Executive User Group, which will deal with the issues which cannot be resolved by the user groups, or which affect a number of services or departments. The Executive User Group includes senior representatives from nursing, medical staff, allied health and the project team, as well as the NSCCAHS Chief Executive. This group has been established and has already met to discuss the next round of consultation.

Can other staff members have input into the final designs?

Yes, through the user group process.

Will consumers have any input?

Yes, consumers will be invited to contribute where appropriate, for instance, in relation to patient privacy and dignity, or in designing spaces that encourage family and carer input.

How has the project changed from the initial reference project?

The reference project provided the three proponents with a benchmark on which to bid. However there have been some major changes since the initial reference project was completed.

The initial reference project was based on retaining the existing "Brown Building".

The "new build" option, taken up by all three proponents, will see this building demolished, and remove the restrictions of designing around an outdated facility.

This is the reason why services such as pathology, mortuary, equipment loan pool and medical records were not originally included in the reference project; they were to remain as areas of `no work" or stay in their original areas with minor refurbishments.

The full complement of these services will now be accommodated in purpose-built facilities in the new hospital.

Will the design allow for future expansion?

Yes, the brief to the proponents explicitly required that their tenders addressed the capacity for future expansion of services, especially for critical departments such as emergency, intensive care and operating theatres.

The new design will have the capacity to expand horizontally into existing space or vertically into new build in the future, if required.

The tenders also had to demonstrate overall masterplanning expansion capacity, that is, the ability to expand on the campus if required, not just within the footprint of the building.

A lot of the debate has focused on the model of care, with differing views as to the organisation of services and facilities. What is the model of care for the new hospital?

The planning for the new hospital facilities is based on delivering a patient-centred facility.

This means putting patients first, and configuring facilities to support multidisciplinary and integrated approaches to care by designing spaces that:

• Consider the well-being of patients, while considering the needs of staff
• Create a dynamic working environment for staff
• Encourage individuals to take an active role in the management of their own health
• Engender a sense of well-being
• Encourage input from carers and families
• Allow patient dignity, privacy and confidentiality
• Require minimal internal travel wherever possible, that is, related services are located close together, either on the same floor or above/below
• Can accommodate future growth or change in service delivery
• Are sustainable and environmentally conscious.

In terms of facility design, we want facilities that can:

• Create an appealing and supportive care and work environment
• Be flexible and adaptable, with an ability to respond to future service growth or change
• Support efficient service delivery
• Allow staff and students to learn effectively and efficiently
• Support campus research goals, promoting synergy and teamwork.