Two more women and children’s services will move into K-Block this week.

On Tuesday, 26 May 2020, 13 special care nursery bays will open in the Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit on Level 8 East (K8E).

The following day, women’s services will move into the Level 7, Queen Alexandra Women’s Services, accommodating pregnancy assessment and birthing (K7E) and maternity and women’s surgical units (K7W).

For the first time at the RHH most women will be able to use water immersion during labour and consider birthing in water in discussion with their care provider.

K7E Birthing and Pregnancy Assessment is an eighteen-bed unit which includes delivery rooms and birthing suites, seven of which have birthing baths.

Birthing rooms have been designed to feel as home-like as possible in a hospital-setting.

Adjacent to the birthing rooms are areas for assessment and observation.

Women 13 weeks pregnant or more, and who have a significant pregnancy related-concern, can go directly to the maternity unit for assessment to ensure timely, appropriate and woman-centred care.

K7 has been named the Queen Alexandra Women’s Services in honour of women who established and have continued to support Hobart’s dedicated maternity service for more than a century.

The level 7 foyer hosts two walls of information panels showcasing both the history of birthing in Tasmania and recognising the contribution of the Queen Alexandra Auxiliary (QAA) from 1902 until 2019.

Thank you to former and current members of the QAA for their contribution to services for Tasmanian women and babies and for funding the information panels for the K7’s foyer.

K6E Childrens and K6W Adolescents opened in K-Block on Wednesday, 20 May 2020.

Further information will be provided on the move of the remaining Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit services to K-Block in coming weeks.

27 May 2020