Detailed planning to start for new Toowoomba Hospital

The 2017-18 State Budget will deliver $3 million to start detailed planning for a new Toowoomba Hospital.

Health and Ambulance Services Minister Cameron Dick, who is visiting Toowoomba, Kingaroy and Cherbourg today, said a significant increase in demand for health care services in Toowoomba was driving the need to deliver a contemporary solution.

“Toowoomba Hospital serves around 300,000 people in the Darling Downs area and the population is expected to grow to 386,000 by 2036.

“The staff of Toowoomba Hospital do amazing work caring for their community in a facility where locals have both been both born and then treated as adults,” Mr Dick said.

“However, to meet the current and projected healthcare demand in the region, Toowoomba Hospital will require more beds, operating theatres, a day renal service and an upgrade to the Emergency Department.

“We need to start planning for a new hospital now so we’re ready to meet the healthcare needs of a growing Toowoomba community in the future.”

Mr Dick said two options were under consideration.

“The first option is to redevelop the existing hospital site on Pechey Street, South Toowoomba in a staged manner and the second is relocate to the Baillie Henderson Hospital site in Cranley where there is available land,” he said.

“Developing a detailed business case will provide a greater understanding of the benefits and risks for each site and enable the Palaszczuk Government to make a final decision that is the best option for Toowoomba and the Darling Downs region.”

Mr Dick said the Palaszczuk Government had committed an additional $208.4 million over the next four years for essential infrastructure upgrades to regional and rural hospitals across Queensland, including Toowoomba and Kingaroy.

The Regional Hospitals package will also support upgrades to staff accommodation at various locations across Queensland to provide safe, secure housing for Queensland Health staff in rural and remote areas.

“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to making Queenslanders among the healthiest people in the world by 2026 and this means improving access to quality and safe healthcare in all its different forms and settings,’’ Mr Dick said.

“Not only is our government improving healthcare by delivering better infrastructure and services, we are also employing more health staff after the Newman-Nicholls LNP Government took its axe to the health system, cutting 136 nursing and midwifery jobs in the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service (DDHHS).

“As of June 1 this year, 46 doctors and 200 nurses and midwifes have been added to DDHHS since we came to government.

“Our Government works for all of Queensland and is building local healthcare facilities in parts of Queensland ignored by the LNP for decades.”

Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service’s record $761.7M budget for 2017-18 will also include:

• $4.484M for health technology equipment;
• $3.518M for minor capital works and acquisition;
• $15.3 million to meet projected increases in activity, addressing increasing emergency department presentations, outpatients and elective surgery;
• $8.0 million for planning the $62M redevelopment of Kingaroy Hospital; and
• $700,000 to deliver additional gastrointestinal endoscopies to meet the growth in demand associated with the national bowel screening program.

For more information about the 2017-18 Budget, visit budget.qld.gov.au

Media contact: Emma McBryde 0447 155 332