Published Yesterday at 09:30 AM

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services
The Honourable Tim Nicholls

Gladstone Hospital expansion to deliver overdue upgrade and new beds after years of Labor neglect

  • The Crisafulli Government’s Hospital Rescue Plan is delivering for Central Queensland with a new, state-of-the-art expansion at Gladstone Hospital.
  • The new modular expansion will ensure and deliver continued access to health services while full assessments and upgrades are progressed on Gladstone Hospital’s ageing buildings. 
  • The modular expansion will deliver a new six-chair renal dialysis unit, 51 beds and treatment spaces, with the provision to flex up to 60 patient bays to meet growing demand. 
  • The Crisafulli Government is delivering a fresh start for Gladstone Hospital and easier access to health services, after Labor failed to progress much-need maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.  

The Crisafulli Government is delivering health services when you need them with an expanded Gladstone Hospital, after the former Labor Government allowed the hospital to fall into disrepair during their decade of decline. 

The modular hospital expansion - to be delivered as part of the Crisafulli Government’s fully-funded Hospital Rescue Plan - will ensure continued access to health services while upgrades are also underway to modernise other parts of the Gladstone Hospital, which was left on life support during Labor’s decade of decline. 

The new facility will deliver 51 beds and treatment spaces, including:

  • 40 new inpatient beds

  • six new renal dialysis chairs 

  • five new high dependency unit beds 

The expansion will include provision to increase to 60 beds and treatment spaces to meet growing demand. There will also be an administration unit, staff areas, family lounges and a rehabilitation gym.   

It will be delivered on campus directly adjacent to the former Mater Hospital with connections to the existing Gladstone Hospital. 

Expected to be completed in mid-2027, it will deliver over 2,500m2 of clinical floor space and result in the decant of departments from within Gladstone Hospital enabling assessments and upgrade works to also be undertaken within the ageing facility. 

A scathing infrastructure audit report from 2021 - hidden by the former Labor Government - revealed that Gladstone Hospital’s ‘Block 1’ and ‘Block 2’ buildings were in a dire state. By 2023, Labor began quietly decommissioning parts of Block 2 without any plans to fix or upgrade the building.  

By 2023, Labor began quietly decommissioning parts of Block 2 without any plans to fix or upgrade the building.  By mid-2024, half the top floor of Block 2 was taken out of action because of its appalling state, with the entire top floor fully vacated in July 2025 to ensure patient and staff safety.  

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said at that point a dedicated health infrastructure specialist was also provided to Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service to help them work through their significant infrastructure challenges.  

“The new modular building is just one of the ways we’re healing Labor’s Health Crisis in Central Queensland, left after a decade of decline,” Minister Nicholls said.  

“We are taking action now to expand the Gladstone Hospital, addressing the immediate healthcare needs of the region while longer-term masterplanning is completed.” 

Queensland’s hospital infrastructure maintenance funding has also been boosted to more than $3 billion over the next five years, up from the zero dollars that Labor left through to 2028. 

Member for Callide Bryson Head said he was appalled by the state of Block 2, after personally inspecting the aged building earlier this year. 

“Despite being in government for a decade, much-need infrastructure improvements were left unfunded by the former Labor government, as evidenced by the shocking state of Gladstone Hospital,” Mr Head said.   

“Gladstone residents are paying the price for the failure by Steven Miles and Glenn Butcher to invest in the Gladstone Hospital. 

“I’ve been fighting for this much-needed investment in the Gladstone Hospital, and I am pleased to announce that the Crisafulli Government will deliver it.” 

Gladstone Hospital’s new Transit Lounge is also now open and the upgrade to the west wing for a new Women and Family Health Centre in Gladstone well underway.  

The Crisafulli Government has also expanded the hours of the Gladstone Nurse-led Walk-in Clinic to open seven days per week, with an almost $1 million funding injection, after the clinic was left underfunded by the former Labor Government. 

ENDS 

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