REDLAND Hospital’s expanded Transit Care Hub has opened as part of an $8.3 million upgrade designed to move patients through the hospital more efficiently and free up beds for people needing emergency and acute care.
The revamped facility has increased from 12 to 19 beds, will operate around the clock, and is expected to support more than 7000 patients each year.
It includes a dedicated minor procedures room, improved patient amenities and more than 14 full-time equivalent clinical, administrative and operational staff.
The hub is used by patients who are medically ready to leave an acute hospital bed but may be waiting for discharge arrangements, medication, transport, paperwork or further short-term care planning.
By providing a suitable space for those patients, the service is intended to improve patient flow through the hospital’s emergency department and wards – a key issue as Redland Hospital continues to face high demand.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the expansion would help ensure beds were available for patients requiring urgent and complex care.
“Projects like this larger Transit Care Hub at Redland Hospital are delivering easier access to health care, allowing patients to move through the hospital more efficiently to ensure beds are available for patients who need emergency and acute care,” Mr Nicholls said.
Latest quarterly data shows ambulance ramping at Redland Hospital fell 9.3 percentage points over the past year – from 65.5 per cent in the June 2025 quarter to 56.2 per cent in the June 2026 quarter.
Despite the improvement, more than half of ambulance arrivals at the hospital were still delayed beyond the target handover time during the latest quarter.
State Member for Oodgeroo Amanda Stoker said the upgraded hub would be critical as demand for local hospital services continued to grow.
State Member for Redlands Rebecca Young said the project would provide more space and better facilities while helping patients return home sooner.
About 60 construction jobs were supported during the build, according to the Government.
The hub forms part of the State Government’s Hospital Rescue Plan, with the Government also pointing to a statewide commitment to employ 46,000 additional health workers by 2032.
