We’re investing in better healthcare closer to home, delivering more beds and staff accommodation, upgraded facilities and enhanced services for Queenslanders.
New and upgraded facilities
- Ripley Satellite Health Centre Sub-Acute Expansion Project (90 new beds)
- Ripley Satellite Health Centre car park
- Gold Coast University Hospital Sub-Acute Expansion Project (70 new beds)
- Cooktown Multi-Purpose Health Service facility (8 new beds)
- Maryborough Hospital Essential Services Upgrade
- Cow Bay Health Centre Replacement
- Millmerran Multipurpose Health Centre Replacement
- Normanton Hospital Replacement
- Pormpuraaw Primary Healthcare Centre Replacement
- Moura Multipurpose Health Service - Aged Care Expansion
- Biloela Hospital Theatre Refurbishment
- Charleville Sterilising and Operating Theatre Refurbishment
- Yarrabah Hospital Parking Upgrade and Relocated Helipad
- Bamaga Primary Healthcare Centre Replacement
- Doomadgee Hospital Replacement
- Laura Primary Healthcare Centre Replacement
- Boigu Primary Healthcare Centre Replacement
- Badu Island Primary Healthcare Centre Replacement
- Lockhart River Primary Healthcare Centre Replacement
- Horn Island Primary Healthcare Centre Replacement
- Hughenden Multipurpose Health Centre Replacement
- Richmond Multipurpose Health Centre Replacement
- Home Hill Health Service Replacement
- Chinchilla Hospital Replacement
- Biloela Hospital Partial Replacement
- Laidley Hospital Partial Replacement
- Boonah Hospital Partial Replacement
- Murgon Hospital Partial Replacement
- Childers Multipurpose Health Centre Partial Replacement
- Proserpine Hospital Upgrade
- Jandowae Multipurpose Health Centre Upgrade
Staff accommodation
- Longreach - Staff Accommodation Replacement
- Collinsville - Staff Accommodation Replacement
- Biloela - Staff Accommodation Replacement
- Torres and Cape – Staff Accommodation Replacement
- Dajarra - Staff Accommodation
- Camooweal - Staff Accommodation
- Winton - Staff Accommodation
- Mt Isa - Staff Accommodation
- St George - Staff Accommodation
- Charleville - Staff Accommodation
- Charters Towers - Staff Accommodation
- Tara – Staff Accommodation
Masterplanning for future needs
- Chinchilla Hospital redevelopment planning
- Rockhampton Hospital redevelopment masterplanning
- Gympie Hospital redevelopment masterplanning
- Gladstone Hospital redevelopment masterplanning
New and upgraded medical equipment
- Charleville CT scanner
- Ingham CT scanner
- Ayr CT scanner
New and upgraded ambulance stations
- Beenleigh Central Ambulance Station
- Southport East Ambulance Station
- Pimpama Ambulance Station Replacement
- Glenwood Ambulance Station Business Case
New and expanded mental health facilities
- Redland Hospital Expansion Stage 2 (20 new beds)
- Cairns Adolescent Acute Mental Health Project (8 new beds)
- Perinatal Mental Health Beds (30 new beds across the state)
- Rockhampton Adult Mental Health Unit Expansion (9 new beds)
- Two Youth Step Up Step Down Facilities, with the first one in Rockhampton (6 beds per facility)
- Sunshine Coast Short-Term Accommodation for Mental Health Treatment and Support
Reinstated health services
- Cooktown reinstatement of birthing services
- Biloela reinstatement of birthing services
Real-time health data
In a first for Queensland, real-time data is available on critical hospital performance and wait times across the State’s 25 major emergency departments and seven satellite health centres. Data on critical information, such as median patient wait times and the number of patients who have been triaged and awaiting treatment to start, is updated every 15 to 30 minutes.
Ensuring increased transparency across the health system is a priority for the new Queensland Government. To see for yourself, visit openhospitals.health.qld.gov.au.
“This is such an achievement in pulling meaningful data from a number of systems to ensure transparency for the public.
It will have benefits for our General Practitioners as well when needing to refer patients from primary care into the hospital emergency department or minor illness and injury clinics.
The 25 sites are a great first step and include regional sites and we look forward to seeing more sites included over time and eventually all Queensland Health Emergency Departments included in the data.”
Dr Danielle Allan
President of the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland
Abolishing the patients’ tax
We’ve stopped the patients’ tax because we recognise the need to provide ongoing cost of living relief, particularly when it comes to paying for healthcare.
Abolishing this tax will save Queenslanders from paying more when seeing their doctor and ease pressure on our already stretched emergency departments.
“This will come as a big relief for practice owners, GPs and our patients who value the relationship they have with their GP highly – there is no substitute for the quality care you get from a specialist GP.”
Dr Cath Hester
Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Queensland
Supporting regional GPs with access to specialist advice
We’re reducing referral to specialist waitlists with an expanded eConsultant service, helping regional and rural GPs access specialist advice on complex patient issues.
“The Queensland Government’s commitment to fund the Queensland eConsultant Partnership Program allows more rural and remote patients to access timely specialist advice, supporting the care provided by their local medical practitioner."
Emeritus Professor David McIntyre
Clinical Lead Queensland eConsultant Partnership Program, Mater Research
Dialysis closer to home
We’ve delivered vital uplifts to services and infrastructure in rural Queensland, like the Longreach dialysis chairs, and are committed to delivering even more in Emerald.
The new Central West Renal Unit at Longreach Hospital is improving access to quality healthcare for local residents.
It means so much to people like 51-year-old Darren Amiguet, originally from Ilfracombe, who relocated to Rockhampton in June 2016 after a failed kidney transplant left him reliant on dialysis that wasn’t then readily available in the Central West. Darren and his wife Tamara plan to move back to Ilfracombe and commute the 27 kilometres to Longreach for Darren’s threeweekly dialysis sessions.
“I have my mum and dad, sister and an auntie in Ilfracombe and it will be good to be close to family again," Mr Amiguet said.
It’s been a long time coming and the reality is still to hit me if I’m honest.
I think that will happen only once I have my bum in the seat at Longreach and doing dialysis.’’
Better diagnosis, sooner
We’re delivering an extra nine computed tomography (CT) scanners and six magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines across Queensland, to free-up hospital beds and bolster Satellite Health Centres and hospital services.
Investing in our workforce
We’re investing in the largest expansion of Queensland Health’s workforce with 46,000 additional health workers by 2032. This includes 34,200 extra clinicians, including additional paramedics and 18,700 nurses and midwives.
The new Queensland Government is delivering a home-grown health workforce strategy to train and hire the clinicians needed for the next decade. This means making it easier for students to study, train and work in Queensland, especially in regional and rural areas.
We are supporting aspiring doctors by providing sustainable home-grown pathways in regional Queensland. We know that if doctors are given access to training and life in a regional area early in their careers, they are far more likely to remain in the regions.
Reducing elective surgery wait time
The Surgery Connect Surge is delivering 10,000 additional elective surgeries, using private sector capacity to deliver planned elective surgery within private hospitals.
We’re working with more than 60 private partners to help deliver the boost to Surgery Connect across Ears Nose and Throat, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Urology, Ophthalmology, Gynaecology and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Our $100 million boost to Surgery Connect is already reducing wait times for thousands of Queenslanders waiting for life changing surgery.
“Providing patients with timely access to diagnoses and treatments is a great outcome.
Ramsay Health Care operates 20 private hospitals in Queensland and is well-placed to relieve pressure on the public system by partnering with the Government to bring down surgical waiting lists.”
Carmel Monaghan
CEO, Ramsay Health Care Australia