The Redlands Satellite Hospital on Meissner Street will open to patients in the coming days, providing a significant healthcare boost to the growing southern Redlands and bay island communities.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said the $43.8m facility, positioned in the Weinam Creek PDA, would provide a range of services closer to home for residents and take pressure off the Redland Hospital emergency department.
The Redland Bay facility is one of seven being delivered in south-east Queensland under the state government’s $377m satellite hospitals program.
Ms Fentiman announced on Monday that the hospital – co-named Talwalpin Milbul in recognition of the region’s First Nations peoples – would open to patients on August 28.
It came just days after hundreds of residents were given a behind the scenes look at the premises and facilities during a community open day.
The hospital will provide a range of specialist and outpatient services including a cancer day therapy unit and kidney dialysis unit.
The minor Injury and illness clinic will be open from 8am to 10pm each day and is equipped to deal with simple fractures, sprains and strains, head injuries and a range of other urgent conditions.
It is hoped the facility will help take pressure off the emergency department at Redland Hospital, where ramping rates climbed to 73 per cent last October.
The Redlands facility is the third satellite hospital to be brought online after Caboolture and Ripley.
More than 100 health care staff have already been recruited to the Redlands-based hospital including doctors, nurses, administration officers, allied health practitioners and operational staff.
“Queenslanders deserve the best health care no matter where they live, and this facility will take pressure off the Redland’s Hospital and emergency department,” Ms Fentiman said.
“The Redland Hospital modular expansion project is [also] well under way and will add 28 new acute inpatient beds to the region, further reducing the pressures we’ve been seeing across the state.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the satellite hospital program in the lead up to the 2020 election, saying the initiative would aim to improve health services in “rapidly growing” communities.
But the plan has drawn criticism from the opposition, who argue the facilities should not be branded hospitals as they have no overnight beds or emergency departments.
The state government also came under fire during the construction process when costs to build all seven facilities were confirmed to have blown out from $265m to $376.9m – an increase of 42 per cent.
Redlands MP Kim Richards said the facility would make a significant difference in the community, particularly for those who access kidney dialysis and cancer day therapy services.
“What an exciting time this is for our Redlands community, and I was so pleased to see so many people tour this fantastic new facility over the weekend at the community open day,” she said.
“This new facility means locals will not need to travel far from home to access the healthcare they need – and this is something I am really proud of.”
Capalaba MP Don Brown thanked the health staff that would be working at the new hospital.
“This is a wonderful place to live and these new health services will make a real difference to the people of this community,” he said.
Metro South Hospital and Health Service chief executive Noelle Cridland said the facility would boost healthcare services.
“We are proud of the work we continue to do across Metro South Health to provide sustainable, culturally safe and responsive healthcare services, and to ensure our services are equitable and accessible for all people,” she said.
The state government also announced earlier this year that it would spend $150m on a new mental health facility at Redland Hospital.
