Says yes to further plans for new emergency building in Kristiansand

“This is all we could have hoped for,” says Per W. Torgersen, project manager for the new emergency building, with a smile following the board’s decision.

Through its decision, the HSØ board approved the concept study, requested that the project proceed, and also approved the calculated cost estimate.

Photo: Irene Svozilik

Financial control budget of NOK 1.7 billion

The project’s financial control budget was set at NOK 1.7 billion. Sørlandet Hospital HF will continue to be the project owner.

“Yes, we are absolutely delighted. The importance of the new emergency building for the hospital in Kristiansand cannot be overstated,” emphasizes Clinic Director Nina Hope Iversen.

She points to the current emergency and intensive care premises, which create daily challenges for the clinical departments due to their lack of space and poorly adapted buildings.

She also commends the many clinic employees who have made a solid effort to help ensure that the new building meets the needs of clinical practice.

Increased capacity

“The new building will provide good working conditions and enable good patient care. The neonatal intensive care unit will be able to provide family-centred care, and the hospital will have increased operating theatre capacity,” says Iversen, looking forward to the changes to come.

She is joined by Nina Mevold, Managing Director of Sørlandet Hospital.

“The new building will be crucial for patient safety, the working environment, and technological and professional development throughout the hospital. It will help us retain and recruit the best professionals in the future too—to the benefit of the population,” says Mevold.

Next steps

An application for a loan will now be submitted to the Ministry of Health and Care Services in accordance with current guidelines, ensuring the project is funded and that preliminary project planning can start as scheduled in 2025.

But Torgersen has no plans to take a year off in 2024.

“We will do thorough preparatory work over the coming year so that we can get off to a good start when preliminary project planning begins in 2025,” he says, listing the following items as part of the preparatory work now getting under way.

• Establish a project organisation and mobilise resources together with the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority and Sykehusbygg.
• Hold a tender competition and find a contractor to build both the emergency building and the municipal health centre.
• Map technical infrastructure and interfaces between the new and existing buildings.
• More detailed planning of the room layouts.
• Organisational development and new work processes.
• Digitalisation and use of technology.
• Cooperation with Kristiansand Municipality to realise the potential of the health centre and hospital being neighbours.

You can read the case documents here

Plans for new emergency building in Kristiansand move forward