Strategy for country health

Enhanced services and facilities

Facilities for the community will be expanded, with mental health, rehabilitation, chemotherapy and renal dialysis services being cornerstones of the redeveloped Berri Hospital.

New mental health beds

The redevelopment will include six new mental health beds, incorporating four intermediate care beds for people who are becoming unwell or need support before returning home, and two limited treatment centre beds which will provide intensive short term mental health treatment. Together these beds will reduce the number of Riverland people needing to go to Adelaide to access mental health services.

New recovery focused rehabilitation program

A recovery focused rehabilitation program at Berri will help approximately 40 people avoid having to travel to Adelaide for rehabilitation each year. Berri will also be able to offer day therapy to allow people to stay at home rather than in hospital.

Improved access to chemotherapy and more renal dialysis chairs

Chemotherapy will be available within the hospital through four oncology chairs, which will offer up to 1,400 treatments a year, and improve access to chemotherapy in the Riverland. The number of renal chairs will double to help local people get the dialysis they need closer to home. This will be crucial as demand for dialysis grows in the future.

Increased privacy with single rooms and ensuites

The Berri Hospital Redevelopment will result in 100% single rooms with ensuites, allowing treatment to take place at the bedside, providing increased privacy for patients and allowing for best practice infection control.

More surgery closer to home with two new theatres

Two full sized theatres will be able to accommodate general anaesthetics, enabling more surgery to be performed closer to home. The hospital’s Emergency Department will double its size, with two trauma rooms and four treatment rooms being included in the redevelopment.