50,000 patients access Queensland’s satellite hospitals

• New data reveals Queensland’s satellite hospitals have reached a significant milestone, with 50,000 people coming through their doors and reducing pressure on emergency departments.
• More than 75 per cent of patients attending the Minor Injury and Illness Clinics are Category 4 or Category 5, indicating the clinics are effectively addressing less critical presentations.
• To further enhance healthcare accessibility, two more satellite hospitals are scheduled to open mid-2024 at Eight Mile Plains and on Bribie Island.

More than 50,000 south-east Queenslanders have already accessed healthcare services at the state’s new satellite hospitals to treat minor injuries and illnesses, significantly reducing the burden on some of the busiest emergency departments. 

Since August 2023, the Queensland Government has opened five satellite hospitals – Caboolture, Ripley, Redlands, Tugun, and Kallangur – catering to patients who might have previously visited an emergency department for non-critical conditions. 

As of 17 March 2024, Ripley Satellite Hospital has seen the most patients, exceeding 13,800 since its August 30 opening. Caboolture Satellite Hospital closely follows with nearly 12,850 presentations.

Satellite hospitals have also provided more than 22,300 outpatient appointments. 

Kallangur Satellite Hospital currently leads in daily presentations, averaging 85 in the first 17 days of March. This is followed by Ripley (81), Redlands (67), Caboolture (63), and Tugun (52). 

Across all five facilities, more than 29,400 Category 4 presentations have been recorded, followed by more than 10,500 Category 3 presentations and more than 8,600 Category 5 presentations.

The most common presentations include limb and joint pain, coughing, lacerations and skin tears, ear pain, and rashes or other skin complaints. 

More than 95 per cent of patients seen at a Minor Injury and Illness Clinic since their launch have stayed less than four hours. 

Every non-urgent presentation in an emergency department requires triage, assessment, and treatment by a doctor. By providing this care at the satellite hospitals, emergency departments can dedicate their resources to more critical patients. 

Queenslanders can expect even greater access to healthcare for minor injuries and illnesses, with two additional satellite hospitals set to open in mid-2024 at Eight Mile Plains and Bribie Island. 

Quotes attributable to Queensland Premier Steven Miles:

“We are a Government that listens and acts.

“When communities in some of our fastest growing regions told us they needed good, accessible healthcare, closer to home, we acted and have built seven satellite hospitals in the South East.

“It is fantastic to see that 50,000 patients have been seen across our five open satellite hospitals, since the first opened in Caboolture less than 8 months ago.

“That’s 50,000 people who haven’t had to go to our busy emergency departments, freeing up those Doctors and nurses to dedicate their resources to our most critical patients.

“I want to thank all our hardworking Queensland Health staff for the contribution they make to our great state every day.”

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

“It’s great to see we have officially recorded 50,000 people treated in our five satellite hospitals over the last eight months. 

“This is a massive milestone and further proof that these clinics are working to provide the care Queenslanders need, when they need it.

“This means that 50,000 people have avoided a trip to an emergency department, ensuring that our busy healthcare workers can treat sicker people as a priority. 

“I would like to thank our dedicated frontline healthcare staff in our Satellite Hospitals who work every day to offer timely and efficient care to their communities.

“The opening of new satellite hospitals on Bribie Island and at Eight Mile Plains later this year will build on these positive results and provide the community with even more access to timely and appropriate healthcare, closer to home.

“We know that David Crisafulli and the LNP do not support our Satellite Hospitals, and we know that they will be at risk of being sold off if the LNP ever won government.

“The $377 million investment is part of our government’s record $25.8 billion investment in the healthcare system, which is delivering new and upgraded hospitals and health facilities and employing thousands of additional frontline healthcare workers.”

Background – data as at 17 March 2024:

Table 1: MIIC presentations by Facility at Triage Category (since respective opening dates)

ENDS