North West Regional Hospital to receive $14.5 million emergency department upgrade

A $14.5 million redevelopment of the North West Regional Hospital (NWRH) emergency department has been approved. The project was partially prompted by a 2023 stabbing attack on a doctor, which a parliamentary committee noted exposed significant layout vulnerabilities, including unmonitored entry points and a lack of standardized duress alarms.

The overhaul aims to enhance security through single-point public access, swipe-card-only staff zones, uniform duress systems, and a tripled surveillance camera network. To ensure the emergency department, ambulance bay, and helipad remain operational 24/7, construction is expected to continue until December 2027.

Additionally, the committee reviewed plans for a $90 million mental health precinct at the Launceston General Hospital, intended to replace the existing 20-bed Northside unit and increase capacity by 10 beds.