Work has begun on Modbury Hospital’s massive upgrade, including a new cancer clinic and a state-of-the-art mental health precinct. We spoke to local Kat Elsby, who has lived experience of mental health challenges, to find out just how important these new services are for the community.
A new $92 million mental health precinct (part of the overall $117m project) marks an important milestone in providing inpatient care in the north-eastern suburbs. The expansion will boost Modbury Hospital’s overnight bed capacity by 44 – a 20 per cent increase in total. Much more than just the beds, it will include a mental health rehabilitation unit, plus an older persons’ mental health unit.
The mental health rehabilitation unit
Due for completion in December 2025, the 24-bed mental health rehabilitation unit will support adults who need longer stays in hospital for therapeutic and rehabilitative care, under a model that provides therapy in a specially designed living space to support daily activities.
Divided into two 12-bed pods, the rehabilitation unit will feature four consumer interview rooms, kitchens and communal dining areas, a gym for community-based rehab, external courtyard spaces for each of the pods and two clinical open-plan offices and a staff lounge.
Northern Adelaide residents will also be able to receive mental health assessments and therapy within dedicated outpatient rooms to support their wellbeing and recovery. The building will also include additional office space and staff facilities to support the operation of the hospital’s new services.
Check out the living spaces – including room for daily activities, therapeutic care and recovery – in 3D here.
What it means for the community
Kat Elsby, from north-eastern Adelaide, has lived experience of mental health challenges and is Peer Practice Lead at Sonder, a not-for-profit health and support services organisation.
Kat says that for people in the community who have experienced mental health challenges and distress, services like the new Modbury Hospital mental health precinct are really important. This is especially true when the government has worked with the community to make sure the services will meet people’s needs.
“This upgrade is definitely a move in the right direction,” says Kat. “There are people that will really benefit from the increase in mental health beds, but there’s also a really large number of people that will benefit from easier access to critical services like psychology and psychiatry that are Medicare-funded.”
Stopping the slide into despair
“Initiatives like this that make it easier for people with mental health challenges to access support appropriate to their needs without having to wait so long can be hugely beneficial, because it stops people losing hope and sliding into despair.”
Kat says more services such as these are crucial in order to meet the unmet need research has shown exists in the community: “The big thing to take away from the research is that it’s not ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to mental health support. We need a whole lot of different supports available that work together really well in complementing each other.”
The importance of mental health support
“We need governments to support people with mental health challenges by not just funding the services, but continuing to recognise the incredible importance that they hold for people,” says Kat. “This stuff makes and breaks people’s lives.”
“It really is a matter of survival for so many people. And we don’t want our whole population of people with mental health challenges to just be scraping by and surviving. We want them to be thriving – living meaningful, productive lives.”
What else is involved in the upgrade
As well as the mental health rehabilitation unit, this expansion of Modbury Hospital includes more new mental health beds for older people, as well as a brand-new cancer centre and a five-storey multi deck car park. In fact, the $117 million investment marks one of the biggest upgrades in the hospital’s history. Here’s your guide to what else is involved.
A home-like space for older relatives
The 20-bed unit offering specialist mental health support to people aged 65 and above will incorporate the existing older persons acute mental health service, currently at the Lyell McEwin Hospital. The unit will be split into two areas – a 12-bed open pod, and an eight-bed pod for high dependency clients.
Designed as a safe, home-like environment, the older persons unit will feature interview rooms, sensory modulation rooms and family and visitor rooms, along with an internal courtyard space for each pod, and a lift to the lower ground level to a landscaped area.
The idea is to create a relaxing, inviting place where relatives of all ages – including children – can spend time with hospitalised older relatives without the added stress of starkly medical surroundings.
Cancer care returns to Adelaide’s north east
The $25 million new cancer centre on its own dedicated floor marks the re-introduction of cancer services at Modbury Hospital. The centre will feature 12 chemotherapy chairs, seven outpatient consulting rooms, and three interview rooms to support nursing, pharmacy education and clinical trials.
Due for completion in December 2025, this is a big deal for Adelaide’s north-eastern community. For the first time in a decade, locals can now access life-saving cancer treatment on their doorstep. Currently, public hospital patients living in north-eastern suburbs have to travel to Lyell McEwin or other metro hospitals for chemotherapy.
The cancer centre will have its own entrance and drop off area to make the whole experience as easy as possible for patients, and a bridge will link it with Modbury Hospital’s existing south wing.
Parking: It’s important!
A new five-storey car park with more than 300 car spaces is also an important part of the hospital redevelopment, scheduled for completion in September 2025. It’s something staff have been requesting for a while, plus it’s a stress-buster for patients, their families and friends – no one wants the added pressure of being unable to easily find a car park when they’re already facing a stay in hospital or desperate to visit a hospitalised loved one.
Stay up to date with the latest news from Northern Adelaide Local Health Network and Modbury Hospital here.
If you or anyone you know is struggling, make sure to reach out to one of the mental health services available 24/7:
LifeLine: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 46 36
SA mental health services register