A new Top End hospital is in the planning stages and will be built at Palmerston.
The purpose-built facility will cater for up to 60 beds and incorporate a 24/7 emergency department and a range of services, such as day procedures, in-patient beds, some maternity services and outpatient services, to suit the requirements of the Palmerston community and Greater Darwin region.
Palmerston Hospital will be designed to complement the services provided by Royal Darwin Hospital. With links to Darwin, Katherine and Gove hospitals through the Top End Hospital Network, the Palmerston Hospital will service the Top End of the Northern Territory.
It will take some of the pressure off the Royal Darwin Hospital emergency department and provide services closer to home for people living in the Palmerston and rural areas.
The new hospital will be built adjacent to the Palmerston Health Precinct on Lot 8408 (Adobe PDF document - 818KB). It will integrate with existing Palmerston Health Precinct services, such as the GP Super Clinic, in line with the National Health Reform vision of a more co-ordinated approach to health care delivery.
The funding of $110 million is being provided for the hospital project by the Australian and Northern Territory Governments.
Planning & Design
The NT Department of Health is working with the Department of Construction and Infrastructure to provide the Palmerston Hospital.
Specifically, the Department of Health is focusing on the clinical elements, while the Department of Construction and Infrastructure will co-ordinate design and construction.
Planning for the Palmerston Hospital is well advanced, having first been flagged as a commitment by the Northern Territory Government in 2009.
The design of the hospital will be determined by the mix of clinical services offered. The clinical services planning process is well underway and is being driven by input from experienced doctors and other clinicians, as well as the local community.
The Palmerston Hospital Community Survey sought input from the community into the development of the Hospital including the name, location and services offered. Key findings include:
- Accident and Emergency services are the highest ranked health priority for the Palmerston community, with almost nine in 10 respondents ranking it as a top priority from a list of six services.
- More than half of the respondents (53 percent) think that the best location for the Palmerston Hospital is adjacent to the Palmerston Health Precinct / Super Clinic site.
- Sixty-two respondents from 183 preferred the name Palmerston Hospital, followed by 49 who liked Palmerston District Hospital, and 47 preferring Palmerston Community Hospital.
Download report Palmerston Hospital Community Survey Report (Adobe PDF document - 183KB)
