Darwin Private Hospital Expansion

Bringing private mental health care closer to home.

Before The Darwin Clinic opened, the Northern Territory had no private mental health facility. Territorians seeking private inpatient treatment had to travel interstate, often leaving family and support networks behind during recovery.

Healthscope set out to address this gap with The Darwin Clinic, a purpose-built mental health facility within the existing Darwin Private Hospital campus. Opened in March 2021, it became the Territory’s first private mental health clinic.

The 1,500 sqm facility includes an 18-bed inpatient unit with private ensuite rooms, clinical support areas and a dedicated outpatient and day program centre. A separate entrance provides privacy for patients, while lounges, dining and therapy rooms and landscaped outdoor areas create a calm, non-institutional environment. The building was also designed to accommodate future vertical expansion.

Setting a new standard for the Territory.

Healthscope engaged RCP to provide project management, Superintendent and specialist programming services from concept design through to completion.

With no Northern Territory design guidelines for mental health units at the time, RCP developed project-specific guidelines to establish requirements for clinical safety, patient care and the design of the new facility. This included balancing stringent mental health safety requirements with Healthscope’s aim to create a welcoming, hotel-style environment.

Delivering within an operating hospital.

The Clinic was carefully planned around existing hospital buildings, services, easements, parking and landscaping. Construction was then staged around ongoing clinical services, patient access and day-to-day hospital operations.

Completed on programme and within budget, The Darwin Clinic gave Territorians access to private inpatient and outpatient mental health care, including alcohol and other drug treatment, without having to travel interstate.