New ward to meet growing demand at Hervey Bay Hospital

• A new 24-bed modular medical ward will provide more healthcare for the growing Fraser Coast community.
• Sixty additional full-time workers, including doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, will be employed to staff the new ward.
• The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year and complements the ongoing expansion of the Hervey Bay Hospital.

More people than ever before will require healthcare in Hervey Bay with the Fraser Coast community set to grow by around 20 per cent over the next decade.

The Miles Government is planning for the growing healthcare needs now and into the future by with the construction of a new 24-bed modular medical ward at the Hervey Bay Hospital.

The new ward will operate as a general medical ward and will connect to the main building by an enclosed walkway to seamlessly connect it to the hospitals surgical ward, improving patient flow.

An additional 60 full-time staff, including doctors, nurses, allied health, and operational workers, will be employed.

Procurement is underway for a contractor to design and build the modules off-site before being transported and installed on the hospital grounds.

The new modular medical ward will complement the ongoing Hervey Bay Hospital expansion project, which will see shell space on Level 2 redeveloped to accommodate a 25-bed inpatient ward and a 10-bed Intensive Care Unit, as well as construction of a new rooftop helipad. These two projects will deliver an additional 59 beds for the community.

The anticipated completion date is by the end of 2024, pending procurement outcomes, site investigations, and weather conditions.

This project is part of the Miles Labor Government’s record-breaking $14 billion Health Big Build, under Queensland’s Big Build initiative.

The plan to deliver new and expanded hospitals helps ensure continued access to world-class healthcare for rapidly growing regions – boosting capacity through expansions to 11 existing hospitals, building three new hospitals, seven satellite and building a dedicated cancer centre.

Queensland’s Health Big Build is delivering over 3,300 additional hospital beds, including 199 in 2023 and 239 in 2024.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman:

“We are building the facilities that will continue to deliver world class healthcare for the Hervey Bay community close to home for years to come.

“This is part of the Miles Government’s record breaking $14 billion Health Big Build which is delivering more beds, more healthcare and more local jobs.

“I want to thank our hardworking health heroes who are saving lives and providing compassionate care to the Fraser Coast community every day.

“It’s exciting to see an additional 60 health workers will join their team once the new ward is operational.

“With the Fraser Coast set to grow by thousands over the coming years, our government is absolutely committed to building the healthcare facilities needed now and into the future.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Hervey Bay Adrian Tantari:

“We have a rapidly growing population here in Hervey Bay, which means we need more beds and more staff.

“The new 24-bed modular medical ward will ensure we continue to meet growing demand for healthcare services in the region for years to come.

“It will improve flow between the emergency department and the wards, further supporting our busy hospital and hard-working health heroes.

“As part of the new ward, we’re also funding an additional 60 positions for healthcare workers which means 60 additional opportunities to work at our fantastic hospital.”

Quotes attributable to Wide Bay HHS Chief Executive Debbie Carroll: 

“By using a modular design, we can have a fully staffed ward up and running much faster than relying on traditional onsite construction.

“The modular building is constructed offsite and then delivered to the hospital grounds, which reduces impact on patients, staff and parking.

“These 24 extra beds will mean that we can move people from the Emergency Department into a ward for treatment more quickly.

“This reduces ED wait times, long stays in emergency, and time spent waiting to transfer from an ambulance.”

ENDS