Released 16/06/2018
The newest ACT hospital, the University of Canberra Hospital: Specialist Centre for Rehabilitation, Recovery and Research, opened its doors to the community today before delivering services from July this year.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing Meegan Fitzharris and Minister for Mental Health Shane Rattenbury officially opened the hospital, and welcomed Canberrans to tour the hospital, meet staff, see demonstrations of the facilities and equipment, and enjoy a sausage sizzle and live music by University of Canberra student musicians.
Minister Fitzharris said today is an important day for the community.“The University of Canberra Hospital is the first of its kind in Canberra. It will deliver specialised care for people recovering for surgery, illness or injury, or experiencing mental illness,” Minister Fitzharris said.
“We know that our public health services need to continue to evolve to meet current and future demands. Expanding the ACT’s public hospital system to include a new hospital that specialises in rehabilitation and mental health is an important part of this.
“It is also a teaching and research hospital, with a dedicated Clinical Education and Research Centre established in partnership with the University of Canberra. It will benefit Canberra’s health students and help bolster the skills of Canberra’s future health workforce.”
Minister Rattenbury said the University of Canberra would provide dedicated mental health services to support Canberrans through their recovery journey.
“The ACT Government is supporting a complete continuum of mental health care for Canberrans and the new hospital is an important component of this,” Minister Rattenbury said.
“The mental health facilities at the University of Canberra Hospital really are top-notch and fit-for-purpose. Personal bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms, small group kitchens, and residential style living areas all contribute to a warm and comfortable environment in the mental health wards.
“This is ultimately about enhancing recovery, building capacity for self-management and resilience, and developing a persons skills and resources to help them thrive when they move back into the community.”
Minister Fitzharris announced that the United Ngunnawal Elders Council have gifted the words Yurwang Mura as a building name for the hospital.
“Yurwang Mura means ‘strong pathway’. The words are an excellent reflection of the strong pathway towards physical and mental healing that will be delivered to the people at the hospital. I would like to thank the elders for their consideration of this name and I acknowledge its cultural significance,” said Minister Fitzharris.
UCH will take its first patients in July. Public rehabilitation and mental health services will relocate to the new hospital from seven different locations across the ACT.
For more information on the hospital’s facilities and how to access care, visit: www.health.act.gov.au/uch.
- Statement ends -
Meegan Fitzharris, MLA | Media Releases
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