We assessed the SBC against the Investment Evaluation Policy and Guidelines released by the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) in September 1996 as well as DTF's Gateway Business Case Development Guidelines (August 2003) and the Partnerships Victoria Policy (June 2000) and the Partnerships Victoria Practitioners Guide (June 2001).
The SBC was generally in line with these government policy and guideline documents. There were some minor departures from the DTF guidelines but these were subsequently addressed and did not invalidate the conclusions reached in the SBC.
The SBC for the RCH project underwent a strategic assessment (Gate 1) review in February 2005. The review concluded that the SBC was sufficient as a high level overview of the project. However, it identified that there was a need for new models of care (style of service delivery) and a 'network response' (statewide approach in the service delivery of paediatric services) to be developed and implemented prior to the next Gateway review to properly inform planning for the new RCH project.
Clarity around models of care and the RCH role in the wider health network are significant for service and investment planning as they assist in defining the service delivery approach, and inform the forecasting for service demand and ultimately the design parameters and facility requirements for the new hospital.