DUNGOG HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT: CELEBRATING A JOB WELL DONE!

A CONTEMPORARY MODEL OF CARE, IN A COMPLIANT AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT WAS SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FOR HUNTER NEW ENGLAND LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT (HNELHD) AND THE COMMUNITY.

The success of the Dungog Hospital Redevelopment project can be attributed in part to Public Works Advisory (PWA) and the Contractor working collaboratively and closely together, and outstanding communication between HNELHD, PWA and the Contractor (Kingston Building Australia) resulting in positive Hospital/ regional community relations throughout the project.

The Dungog Community Hospital is located 2.5 hours north west of Sydney, in regional NSW. The Community hospital is the only facility in the Shire of Dungog, serving a population of just over 9000 residents and has been providing 128 years of care to the people in the Shire. The original cottage building first constructed in 1892 along with the subsequent extensions over time presented many challenges. The project was funded as part of NSW Ministry of Health’s Rural Health Infrastructure Program aiming to build healthy rural communities through delivery of modern facilities, with $3.7 million assigned for the Dungog Hospital Redevelopment across two years.

The redevelopment included bringing some rooms (including the original 1892 sections) up to contemporary standards of WHS, security, infection control and medication safety. The focus was on Triage facilities, new clean utility, new ward staff station, refurbishment of the emergency department, a patient ward extension, new consultation rooms, treatment rooms and front entry, as well as an upgrade of engineering services.

Staff pictured, first row left to right, Rosemary Kelly PWA, John Tonkin Kingston, Craig Williams Kingston, Ethan Reay Kingston, second row left to right, Nicola Churms Dungog Hospital, Scott Pascoe HNELHD Infrastructure & Planning, Alex Fahy PWA, Brett Davies Kingston.

(Source: Department of Regional NSW (DRNSW))

PWA’s project team (Alex Fahy, Rosemary Kelly and Narelle Bromilow) were committed to focussing on both stakeholder engagement and engineering staff consultation. The PWA team worked to ensure the key risks within an operational hospital such as infection control, dust suppression, path of travel, debris removal and planned services disruptions were appropriately communicated to and managed by the contractor.

Clear communication and managing expectations were key to delivering this successful project, in very challenging times. Multiple stakeholder user group workshops were held during the design phase to capture the critical information that was used to inform the design solution, and weekly coordination meetings were held during construction for the on-site works.

Regular PCG meetings and reports all contributed to the successful management and delivery of the project, but what was the secret to success? The ongoing collaborative relationship between PWA, the Contractor (Kingston Building Australia), the client (HNELHD) and the Hospital staff.

Weekly coordination meetings during construction were commended by the client, in fact the client advised it was one of the best communicated projects that he had worked on. These meetings were also used to develop innovative solutions to the staging of the works, a key challenge for the project driven by site conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic. The PWA project team, hospital staff and contractors even enjoyed morning teas, cakes, birthdays and BBQs together. Celebrating just how well the project team worked together; like an extension of one team!

New central ward staff station.

(Source: Department of Regional NSW (DRNSW))

The Hospital also organised a community Health Expo, with close to 100 residents attending. Indigenous participation was another highlight, with the Contractor exceeding the targeted contract spend through direct engagement with apprentices and subcontractors. Local subcontractors were employed where possible benefiting the community.

A close out workshop was held in July 2020 to provide a realistic assessment of the team’s performance. It also provided an opportunity to review management processes used and collect and provide feedback to enable all parties to develop and implement improvements for future contracts. The project was delivered in June 2020, 12 months after commencing construction to a very satisfied client (HNELHD) and ecstatic Hospital staff.

(Source: Department of Regional NSW (DRNSW))

Author: Alexander Fahy, Project Manager, has been delivering projects for NSW’s Public Works Advisory, primarily in health infrastructure for Hunter New England Local Health District, over the past four years. Alex was the Project Manager for the Dungog Hospital Redevelopment, which was run in parallel with Gloucester Hospital Redevelopment of similar scope and value.