WORKS UNDERWAY ON CAIRNS HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT

CAIRNS: Premier Anna Bligh was on-site today to witness the beginning of works on the $446 million redevelopment of the Cairns Hospital.

Ms Bligh said the demolition now underway on Grove Street was another step forward in the redevelopment that would provide vastly enhanced health services to the people of Cairns including:

• additional cardiac care facilities and a full day surgery unit;
• a new home for specialist clinics and pathology services;
• an integrated mental health unit with additional beds for patients needing longer term care; and
• a comprehensive cancer care unit and new radiation oncology services.
  
  

“There has been enough consultation, enough planning - it’s time for action.

“From today, the people of Cairns will begin to see their bigger, better hospital taking shape.

“The car park redevelopment is the first stage in a comprehensive redevelopment.

“Demolition of the unoccupied buildings will take three to four weeks and the new car park is expected to be completed by January 2010. Construction of Block D - which will accommodate new clinical services including surgery, medical rehabilitation, maternity and renal dialysis - will begin the following month.

“This ED expansion will increase capacity from 30 treatment spaces to 50.

“In addition the redevelopment will deliver an additional 168 beds by 2014.

"More importantly it will mean that Far North Queensland residents will no longer have to travel to Townsville or Brisbane to receive radiation treatment," Ms Bligh said.

"We are delivering now, but we are also committed to meeting the projected demand for the hospital in the long-term.

“Queensland Health is now evaluating 11 new sites, one of which we hope to acquire by the end of the year.

“This land will be used to build a new community health centre, with a view to building a new hospital on-site sometime after 2020.

“We are delivering for the health needs of the region now, and planning for the future,” she said.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson, who joined the Premier on-site, said Queensland Health was also tendering for the construction of replacement facilities that will house other services on the new car park site, with the remaining buildings to be demolished once those services had been relocated.

“The Cairns Central Community Health Centre site located on Sheridan Street in Cairns North will be used initially to relocate services from the site of the new car park,” Mr Robertson said.

“These initial services are the Diabetes services and Home Renal Dialysis, with relocation to new buildings planned to be completed by March 2009.

“This staged redevelopment means we will be delivering more services to the people of Cairns, sooner,” he said.

Premier Bligh said Cairns residents would be able to view a model of the redevelopment at the Cairns Conventions Centre during Regional Parliament this week.

“This is the beginning of an exciting new era in health service delivery for the people of Cairns,” she said.

ENDS

Monday, 27 October 2008

Media: 3224 4500 (Premier’s office) or 3234 1185 (Minister Robertson’s office)