Project Background
The expansion of North District Hospital (NDH) is one of the highlights of the Hospital Authority 10-year Hospital Development Plan.
Established in 1998, NDH is an acute hospital in the New Territories East Cluster (NTEC) of the Hospital Authority (HA), serving patients from North District, Tai Po and Sha Tin with a planned capacity of 600 beds. It provides 24-hour accident and emergency (A&E) service and a wide range of secondary care services with emphasis on ambulatory care as well as community outreach services.
Over the years, the existing facilities at the NDH have become inadequate, in terms of space, capacity and design, at coping with the ever-increasing service demands, modern quality standards and developments in service delivery.
Key challenges faced by the NDH include:
- the increasing demand for emergency service has long outgrown the planned capacity of the A&E Department, with a perennial problem of overcrowding that poses risks to patient privacy, infection control and timeliness of care delivery;
- there is a dire need to enhance the capability and capacity of the hospital in managing infectious and communicable diseases through increased provision of specially designed isolation rooms and infection control facilities;
- there is an urgent need for upgrading the diagnostic and treatment facilities and equipment to the prevailing standards; and
- development of convalescent and rehabilitation services in the hospital is required to facilitate continuity of care and meet the healthcare needs of the local community.
The project will be implemented in three works packages, namely preparatory works, site formation and foundation works, and main works. The scope of the expansion project comprises:
- construction of a new acute block;
- renovation and alterations to the existing hospital building; and
- provision of associated internal roadworks as well as external and landscaping works.