Construction has begun on Adelaide’s $3.2 billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital project, as new artist’s impressions give a fresh glimpse of how the world-class hospital will look.

Ground was broken on Tuesday morning (April 30) as part of a $306 million package of first stage works on the site, making way for the hospital’s 1300-space car park and a two-storey central energy facility.

The eight-storey car park will have around 360 more parking spaces compared to the current hospital car park.

A new flyover showing updated concept designs of the hospital’s exterior has also been unveiled, with clinicians, staff and consumers invited to have their say on the hospital’s updated “block and stack” plans. The block and stack plans map out where clinical services and departments are proposed to be located within each of the new hospital building’s nine levels.

Staff and patients have helped update the concept design layout plans, with their feedback resulting in changes to the location of some departments and to the shape of the building to ensure the hospital can best meet the needs of patients and staff. Consultation on the plans is now open for three weeks, closing on Tuesday, 21 May.

The new hospital will be the first 100 per cent electric public hospital in South Australia, with 414 overnight beds ­– 56 more than the current hospital – and further capacity to add an extra 20 beds in future.

It will also have a larger emergency department with 43 treatment spaces, state-of-the-art surgical suites and an on-site helipad.

The new site will provide room for both the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the Royal Adelaide Hospital to expand in the future.   

Importantly, the larger site now allows all critical care services to be co-located on one floor – including birthing, theatres, Paediatric ICU and Neonatal ICU.

It will also benefit from a four-bed integrated Intensive Care Unit for women, co-located with the Paediatric ICU enabling women requiring high-level care to remain at the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital, rather than being transported to the RAH.

The project is on track for completion by 2030-31.

Women’s and Children’s Health Network Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Graham said she was “delighted to stand alongside our clinicians and consumers to commence these important works”.

“We want to build a new hospital for the long-term that is tailored to the needs of patients and their families, and I would strongly encourage South Australians to get involved in our consultation and share their thoughts on how we build a hospital fit for the future, that the community deserves and needs,” Ms Graham said.

“This hospital belongs to the women and children of South Australia, and I’m proud to lead the way in creating a facility for future generations.”

For more information and to provide your feedback on the internal layout designs visit the New Women’s and Children’s Hospital Project website.