The Royal Hobart Hospital is a

public hospital A public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is fully funded by the government and operates solely off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In some countries, this typ ...

in the Hobart CBD,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, Australia. The hospital also functions as a

teaching hospital A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical centre that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities and are often co-located ...

in co-operation with the

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College, one of the university's residential colleges, first pro ...

. The hospital's research facilities are known as the Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation. Also close to the hospital site is the Menzies Research Institute. The hospital is run by the

Tasmanian Government The Tasmanian Government is the democratic administrative authority of the state of Tasmania, Australia. The leader of the party or coalition with the confidence of the House of Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Tasmania, is invite ...

as part of the

Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...

and is the largest hospital, and the largest employer, in Tasmania. The hospital provides services for all of southern Tasmania and has capacity for 400 patients. Many statewide services such as cardiothoracic surgery,

neurosurgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peri ...

, major trauma, high-risk obstetrics, hyperbaric medicine, and neonatal intensive care are based at the hospital, with referrals coming in from the north and northwest. The main entrance underwent construction for a new underground emergency department. This began operation in early 2007 with surrounding construction ongoing. A more recent hospital redevelopment project was initiated with A$565 million in funding, including a new women's and children's precinct, cancer service, intensive care unit, and day surgery facility.

History

Royal Hobart Hospital is Australia's second-oldest hospital (after Sydney Hospital) as well as the longest-running civil institution of Tasmania, and first began serving the community in 1804. It moved to its current site on Liverpool Street in 1820. In 1938 it was renamed from Hobart General Hospital to Royal Hobart Hospital and gained its own coat of arms.

Repatriation General Hospital, Hobart

Hobart's Repatriation General Hospital was transferred to the Tasmanian public hospital system on 1 July 1992 and linked to the hospital through the Acute Care Program following the formation of the new agency. It serves as a community rehabilitation site, as well as offering allied health and inpatient geriatric services.

Hobart Private Hospital

In November 1999 the Queen Alexandra wing was leased to become the

Hobart Private Hospital The Hobart Private Hospital is a 146-bed private hospital located in the central business district of Hobart adjacent to the Royal Hobart Hospital. It is owned by Healthscope, one of Australia's leading providers of hospitals, medical and patho ...

Noteworthy personnel

* Sir Dr James Willson Agnew KCMG (1815-1901), appointed Colonial Surgeon at the Royal Hobart Hospital, then the Hobart general Hospital, in 1845. He went on to be the 16th Premier of Tasmania from 8 March 1886 – 29 March 1887. * Dr Bruce Maitland Carruthers OBE (1892-1951), a former Director-General of Health in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

was the senior house surgeon at Royal Hobart Hospital 1927–1935. * Dr William Lodewyk Crowther (1817-1885), appointed as a medical officer at the hospital in 1860. He was suspended in March 1869 over charges of mutilating the body of William Lanney, the last male Tasmanian Aboriginal. He went on to be the 14th Premier of Tasmania from 20 December 1878 to 29 October 1879.

References

External links