About the RAH

The emotional and physical needs of the estimated 85,000 inpatients and 400,000 outpatients, their loved ones and carers are at the heart of the RAH, driving its creation from conception right through to construction. Structurally, the hospital spans the equivalent of three city blocks, featuring:

• 100 per cent single overnight patient rooms to create the best possible healing environment with greater levels of privacy, comfort and infection control
• a strong focus on natural light and environment, including landscaped parks and internal green spaces, 70 courtyards, terraces and sky gardens
• multiple entry points to allow more patients to bypass the Emergency Department (ED) and be admitted directly into the service they need, such as cardiology or mental health
• 'hot lifts', allowing related services in different areas to be reached in under two minutes.

The RAH is one of Australia’s most technologically advanced healthcare facilities, integrating the latest innovations across health, education and research to deliver high-quality care.

The state-of-the-art facilities appeal to healthcare professionals, helping to attract some of the best expertise from around the world. 

Some of the latest innovations include:

• one of the biggest Automated Pharmacy Distribution Systems in the nation, bringing South Australia to the forefront of automated medication technology. The system includes more than 80 automated dispensing cabinets in patient wings to support the accurate and timely distribution of medicines.
• telehealth facilities, enabling staff to consult with colleagues and patients in regional and remote areas across the state and further afield
• digital imaging technology allowing clinical images to be streamed live from operating theatres and procedural rooms for diagnostic and training purposes
• the largest automated microbiology system in the southern hemisphere, providing world-class technology to support the timely diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.

The RAH is also the state’s only public hospital to roll out a digital instrument tracking system to manage its vast collection of medical equipment.

The RAH is a ‘super-site’ for major emergencies in South Australia, such as heart attacks and stroke, and serves as the complex multi-trauma destination for the state.

The RAH provides a comprehensive range of complex care across medical, surgical, emergency, acute mental health, outpatient and diagnostic fields, including:

• a 24-hour on-site stroke team, a 24-hour on-call service for acute coronary syndrome and 24-hour diagnostic and imaging services
• the statewide centre for critical services such as complex cancers and bone marrow transplants, craniomaxillofacial surgery, neurosurgery and cardiothoracic services with a focus on complex thoracic surgical cases
• specialist acute spinal and brain injury rehabilitation service.

Other key statewide services provided include renal transplantation, hyperbaric medicine and complex vascular medicine and surgery.

The RAH plays a lead role in South Australia’s disaster management strategies, with capacity to support victims of both man-made and natural catastrophes. Features include:

• decontamination showers enabling mass decontamination in the Emergency Department (ED) in the case of a chemical spill
• five negative pressure rooms in the event of an infectious outbreak
• a quarantine room designed to the standards required to support patients with highly infectious diseases such as Ebola and can be segregated from the rest of the ED.

The hospital has been designed with flexibility to convert specific spaces into additional clinical areas in the event of a mass casualty disaster such as a plane crash.

The RAH is also engineered to withstand major earthquakes and extreme weather events and can continue to operate for 48 hours if completely cut off from outside services such as water and power.

The RAH site incorporates a total of 3.8 hectares of landscaped environment, including more than 70 internal themed (i.e. Aboriginal and Spinal Garden) courtyards and sky gardens across the 9 levels. This creates a 1.6 hectare footprint of greenspace within the hospital.

The garden areas will provide opportunities for physical movement and exercise but will also cater to public gatherings and intimate private moments.