Royal Adelaide Hospital

The Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) is South Australia's largest and most advanced public hospital and one of the oldest continuously operating hospitals in Australia, with origins dating to 1840. For nearly 180 years, the RAH has been at the forefront of clinical medicine, research, and health education in South Australia and across the nation.

In September 2017, the Royal Adelaide Hospital moved to a landmark new facility on North Terrace in the Adelaide CBD — one of the most significant healthcare infrastructure projects in Australian history. The new RAH is a purpose-built 800-bed tertiary hospital designed with the latest clinical and digital technologies, incorporating single-patient rooms across the facility to reduce infection risk and improve patient comfort and privacy. The building spans approximately 173,000 square metres and is connected to the Adelaide CBD by a pedestrian bridge over North Terrace.

The RAH is managed by Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) and is a principal referral centre for South Australia and surrounding states and territories. It provides a comprehensive range of adult tertiary and quaternary services including major trauma, complex surgery, organ transplantation, highly specialised cancer care, neurosciences, and advanced cardiology.

The hospital has strong research and education links, serving as a major teaching hospital for the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. It is closely affiliated with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), located next to the new hospital building on North Terrace, enabling close collaboration between clinical and research teams. The RAH hosts numerous nationally significant clinical research programs and participates in international multi-centre trials across many specialties.

The Royal Adelaide Hospital offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of adult clinical specialties in Australia, functioning as the principal referral centre for complex and rare conditions across South Australia and surrounding regions.

Key clinical departments include Emergency Medicine and Trauma, Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Oncology and Haematology, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, General Medicine, General and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery and Trauma, Vascular Surgery, Renal Medicine and Kidney Transplantation, Respiratory Medicine, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases, Intensive Care Medicine, Psychiatry and Mental Health, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ophthalmology, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT), Dermatology, Palliative Care, and Rehabilitation Medicine.

The RAH is the state's primary centre for organ transplantation (kidney, liver and pancreas), major burns treatment, cardiac catheterisation and intervention, and advanced cancer care. The hospital also runs statewide services for haemophilia, bone marrow transplantation, and spinal injuries. Its 24-hour Emergency Department is one of the busiest in South Australia, managing over 80,000 presentations per year including major trauma cases transferred from across the state.

The new Royal Adelaide Hospital, opened in 2017, was designed as a fully digital hospital — one of the first in Australia to implement a comprehensive electronic medical record (EMR) system across all wards and departments at the time of opening. The facility encompasses 800 licensed beds, all in single-patient rooms with private ensuite bathrooms, greatly reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infections.

The hospital has 40 operating theatres including hybrid theatres capable of combining surgical intervention with real-time imaging. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is among the largest in South Australia, with adjacent High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Coronary Care Unit (CCU) capacity. The Emergency Department features a dedicated trauma bay with immediate access to CT scanning and operating theatres.

Advanced medical imaging is available 24/7 including multi-detector CT, 3T MRI, PET/CT, nuclear medicine, interventional radiology (including neuro-interventional procedures), and comprehensive ultrasound. Pharmacy, pathology, blood bank and allied health services operate around the clock. On-site rehabilitation gymnasium, occupational therapy suites, and patient support services are integrated throughout the hospital. A rooftop helipad allows direct transfer of critically ill or injured patients from regional South Australia and interstate.

The Royal Adelaide Hospital, as a major public tertiary hospital, primarily serves South Australian residents and Medicare-eligible patients from across Australia. However, the RAH accepts and provides care for international patients who require highly specialised tertiary services not available in their home countries, particularly for complex surgical procedures, cancer treatment, organ transplantation, and advanced cardiac and neurological interventions.

All services at the RAH are delivered in English. Professional interpreter services are available in a wide range of languages — including Mandarin, Vietnamese, Hindi, Arabic, Greek, Italian, Tagalog and many others — at no additional charge to the patient, ensuring that language is never a barrier to accessing safe, high-quality care.

International patients who are not covered by Medicare are billed at the full uninsured rate, which can be substantial for tertiary hospital care. It is strongly recommended that international patients and visitors to Australia hold Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) or an equivalent international private health insurance policy before admission. International students in Australia must hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). The RAH's patient liaison and social work teams are available to assist international patients and their families with care coordination, accommodation and discharge planning.

The Royal Adelaide Hospital is accredited under the Australian National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards, the national framework for hospital quality and safety governed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC). Accreditation surveys are conducted by independent bodies including the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), which assesses hospitals against globally benchmarked quality improvement standards.

The RAH is a recognised teaching hospital of the University of Adelaide and Flinders University, subject to ongoing accreditation by the relevant national medical, nursing and allied health professional colleges including the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). Specialist training programs across multiple disciplines are formally accredited by these bodies.

As part of Central Adelaide Local Health Network, the RAH participates in the South Australian Government's comprehensive health service performance framework, with regular reporting to the South Australian Department of Health and the National Health Performance Authority. The hospital also participates in numerous national clinical quality registries to benchmark performance and drive continuous improvement.