The Royal Hobart Hospital's new two-storey, modern health facility will be ready to accommodate patients from Tuesday, 22 November 2016.

The general medicine unit will be the first ward to relocate to the area of the hospital known as J-Block, next week.

To ensure no reduction in beds, five additional beds were opened earlier on ward 6A to complement the general medicine ward.

The move from construction to commissioning, is the right time to refer to these new wards as they will be known in the RHH, as part of J-Block.

J-Block is the area of the Royal’s forecourt and it already accommodates the emergency department and the acute dialysis unit.

Staff at the Royal and the RHH Redevelopment are working on extensive operational commissioning and decanting requirements needed to ensure this is done appropriately and efficiently.

The major infection control clean required of all hospital wards has been completed in the general medicine unit and is now underway in the inpatient mental health wards.

The first of eight scheduled general medicine staff induction sessions start today, Monday 14 November 2016, and mental health staff induction commenced last week.

On 31 October 2016, the facility received its tick of good health with independent verification from the building surveyor and occupational hygienist. The project's architects and engineers also confirmed the design had been implemented to specifications.

General medicine provides treatment for conditions such as respiratory illness, infections and cardiac conditions for example.

Mental health inpatients are scheduled to relocate on Tuesday, 29 November 2016.

The facility is a critical feature of the decanting plan needed so B-Block can be demolished and the new ten-storey, inpatient precinct called K-Block, can be built.

24 Nov 2016