LGH opens $20m women's and children's precinct

Two brand new facilities supporting women, children and health practitioners were officially opened as stage one of the development nears completion.

The $20 million women's and children precinct replaces the embattled 4K children's ward, and marks the first time the two services have been offered in the same building.

Meanwhile, a new $11 million education and learning hub will serve LGH's Nursing Education Unit and Tasmanian Health Services North.

Both buildings have been given names in palawa kani, the language of Tasmanian Aboriginals.

The three-level precinct has been named lutha, which means 'gumtree'.

Level three is a paediatric outpatients clinic, level four takes in a 34-bed children's ward, and level five offers pregnancy and gynaecology outpatient services.

The number of clinical spaces for women's health have tripled, and the Department of Health is eager to add staff accordingly.

Department secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said the new precinct was part of the hospital's "important journey of recovery and improvement".

"It's an absolute game-changer for our women's and health services," Morgan-Wicks said.

"We've gone from some five clinical spaces to 15 brand new clinical spaces which makes a real difference.

"It means we can do more procedures for women right here in the women's and children's centre, and they don't need to be taken in to our surgical precinct, and it keeps our operating theatres free for other cases."

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However, securing new practitioners to fill the additional spaces may take some time.

"That's a slow and steady process in a pandemic, and there's global competition for staff," Ms Morgan-Wicks said.

"But often when you're someone looking for a new hospital to work in, you want to know where you're going and you want to know that you're going to be in a fantastic environment.

"That's what we can offer our paediatricians, our paediatric allied health specialists - a brand new women's and children's health tower in Launceston."

Plans are in place to have the new children's ward named by "children and young people in Northern Tasmania".

Located on the corner of Frankland and Charles Street, the facility has been christened tunapri mapali, meaning 'lots of knowledge'.

It takes in a simulation laboratory and training centre, training, conference and meeting rooms, and 76 desk spaces.

Level one has been named the Anne O'Byrne Education Centre, honouring the Clifford Craig Foundation founding supporter's contribution to health in Northern Tasmania.

The existing Anne O'Byrne building will be demolished as part of the redevelopment's second stage next year.

Anne O'Byrne, who served on a number of health, women's and political boards between the 1960s and 1994, was impressed with the new facilities.

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"It's amazing really to see the marvellous training nurses are getting now," she said.

"When I was a nurse you didn't have all the machinery they have now - it depended on you and how you thought it was going, and now you've got monitors up there that tell you.

"It's marvellous for me to see because when I was here on the board we didn't have anything as good as this."

The LGH redevelopment is being completed in four stages.

The first stage, which includes the two new facilities, a new administration and education centre and nine negative pressure beds in the acute medical unit, will conclude with improvements to the emergency department access and ambulance bay.

Stage two will begin in mid-2023, and will include the construction of a mental health precinct, an upgraded acute care zone, and improvements to the Northside site.

"This is just the start ... of what will essentially be a rebuilt Launceston General Hospital," Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.

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