The South Australian government is partnering with UniSA to “transition” the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to a specialist rehabilitation, nursing and allied health university hospital. According to the university, it is the state’s largest provider of physiotherapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, exercise physiology, medical imaging, nutrition, pharmacy and nursing education. “We will graduate health care workers that are completely conversant with the realities of professional practice.  It also means, “the quality of care at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital will be at the forefront of innovative practice, where interdisciplinary and patient-centred practice is the standard,” University of South Australia VC David Lloyd says.

Professor Lloyd is keen on growing health business, back in 2014 when the University of Adelaide and the state government were disagreeing over funding for the state’s dental hospital, UniSA tendered for the contract in cooperation with University College London. This was seen as a step towards opening a dental school.