$100 million funding boost to tackle unprecedented ED demand

The Palaszczuk Government is delivering a $100 million funding boost to tackle unprecedented demand in Queensland’s public hospitals.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D’Ath said the $100 million funding package would create an initial 65 new beds in some of Queensland’s busiest Hospital and Health Services.

“Queensland’s public health system is experiencing unprecedented demand which is why we’re earmarking an extra $100 million for 65 new beds and other additional services,” she said.

“The level of demand being experienced isn’t unique to Queensland – it’s being seen in all States and Territories.

“Delivering this extra funding to increase bed capacity is an important first step in equipping our busy EDs to tackle the pressures they’re facing.

“The Palaszczuk Government continues to deliver record health budgets and we remain focused on providing more resources for health services in Queensland.”

The $100 million Care4Qld package includes:

• $7.2 million to open an additional 26 beds at Ipswich Hospital
• $5.3 million for an additional 13 beds for patients in West Moreton
• $7.1 million for an additional 26 beds at QEII Hospital
• $20 million for ‘winter bed’ funding to open more beds in areas with the most demand
• $15 million to permanently expand Hospital in the Home services which were temporarily established as part of our COVID-19 response
• $10 million to permanently expand Residential Aged Care Support Services which were temporarily established as part of our COVID-19 response
• $5m million to pilot targeted expansions of post-acute services (including physiotherapists, occupational therapists etc) to support faster and safe discharge from hospital.
• $4 million to support appropriate discharge of long stay patients from hospital and ensuring they receive continued care in the right setting
• $4 million to expand our mental health co-responder model by an additional four teams each year over the next three years.
• $6.5 million reinvestment in successful programs delivered through the Care in the Right Setting Funding Program, including the Rapid Paediatric Sepsis Pathway.
• $5 million for a targeted expansion of the Transfer Initiative Nurse model to support getting our ambulances back on the road faster.
• $2.5 million recurrent to scale up the Patient Access Coordination Hub to a Statewide level and operate 24/7.

Media contact: Martin Philip 0407 675 008