MEDIA STATEMENT: Cairns Hospital mental health unit officially opened 

Published Yesterday at 01:34 PM

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services
The Honourable Tim Nicholls

Cairns Hospital mental health unit officially opened 

  • $84.3 million new mental health unit at Cairns Hospital officially opened.
  • The 53-bed centre has 10 dedicated mental health intensive care beds.
  • First patients expected to receive treatment from February. 

The Crisafulli Government officially opened Cairns Hospital’s new Mental Health Unit today, providing a much-needed boost to care for Far North Queenslanders.  

The new $83.4 million facility features 53 beds, of which 10 are dedicated mental health intensive care beds. 

The new building in which the unit is located is called Jugarrbaajing, a name which means ‘unsettled mind’ and was chosen by representatives of the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji traditional owner group 

The wards where the mental health unit was previously located will now form part of the $250 million Cairns Hospital Expansion Project, providing an additional 64 hospital beds for the Cairns community. 

As part of the Crisafulli Government’s Easier Access to Health Services Plan to restore services for regional Queenslanders, two Step Up, Step Down youth mental health facilities will be delivered across Queensland, bridging the transition between hospital treatment and outpatient treatment.  

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the services for Queenslanders in the far north would provide state-of-the-art care for acute mental health patients, with a focus on calming, therapeutic spaces. 

“This long-awaited new mental health unit provides a major boost to mental health services in the Far North,” Minister Nicholls said. 

“The Crisafulli Government is committed to expanding access to mental health services, including the two additional youth mental health services in the Step Up, Step Down model. 

“We expect the first patients to receive treatment from February, when the wards are fully operational.  

“The facility includes sensory gardens, safe outdoor spaces as well as bay windows in each room.  

“There are also facilities to support the general health of clients and their integration back into the community.  

“This includes a gymnasium, therapy and activities area, occupational therapy kitchen and, overall, much larger spaces for more privacy for clients.” 

CHHHS Chief Executive Leena Singh said the new wards were developed to be an important piece of health infrastructure for the community. 

“Extensive planning has gone into the design of the facility to significantly improve the experience for both the patients and staff,” Ms Singh said. 

“A recruitment drive has been underway since late last year to fill nearly 40 positions across a range of services provided by the ward, including nursing, social workers, pharmacists, cleaners, peer support workers, exercise physiologists and administration officers."  

ENDS 

MEDIA CONTACT: David McLachlan  0428 716 171