The South Australia (SA) Government has announced an A$22m ($14.7m) investment to construct a new emergency department (ED) at Clare Hospital as part of its ongoing commitment to regional healthcare improvements.
The ED upgrade aims to provide the Mid North community with continuous, modern emergency care facilities.
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Clare Hospital’s current ED, which is more than 101 years old, has limited space and privacy, as well as lacks a dedicated waiting area.
The planned new ED will include a resuscitation room, treatment bays, fast-track bays, triage area, an ambulance entry and airlock, upgraded staff spaces and a new waiting room. This is expected to increase safety and privacy for both patients and staff.
Emergency presentations at Clare Hospital have grown by 27% in the last five years, from 2,372 in 2019-2020 to 3,006 in 2024-2025. Patients currently often wait in the main hospital entrance due to the absence of a dedicated waiting area.
This development builds on the state’s previous A$7.3m investment for upgrading Clare Hospital’s theatre suite and central sterile supply department, both expected to be completed this year. These upgrades will ensure compliance with national safety standards and improve patient and clinician experience.
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By GlobalDataSince 2022, the SA Government has invested A$400m into regional health capital works, including A$144m in the current financial year, a more than threefold increase from the final year of the previous administration. Regional workforce expansion has also been prioritised, including 369 additional healthcare staff and increased operating budgets for regional Local Health Networks.
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said: “Today I am proud to announce that a re-elected Malinauskas Labor Government will invest A$22m to deliver a brand-new emergency department for Clare Hospital. Clare Hospital has provided the Mid North with exceptional health services for more than a century, but its ED is no longer fit for purpose.
“Our government will deliver Clare Hospital a dedicated ED that is modern, purpose-built and able to meet the growing health needs of this region. Clare Hospital is undergoing a generational transformation under our government, with upgrades already well underway to improve surgical services.”
In 2024, the SA Government began construction on the $2.07bn New Women’s and Children’s Hospital (New WCH) project in Adelaide.
