Orthopaedic surgeon Robert Pozzi praises Cairns Private Hospital expansion as “pretty timely”

A Covid-induced surgery backlog will be targeted as part of an $18m upgrade of Cairns Private Hospital with two new theatres to be built. Read what surgeries will be targeted.

CAIRNS Private Hospital will receive two new theatres and a new sterilising department as part of an $18m upgrade announced by Ramsay Health.

Hospital staff expect construction to begin in November with the first new theatre to be operational by mid-2024. The two new theatres – which will bring additional ENT, orthopaedic, urology, plastics, vascular and general surgical capacity – will bring the total at Cairns Private Hospital to nine.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Robert Pozzi, who operates out of the hospital, welcomed the announcement as “pretty timely” due to the surgical backlog caused by Covid.

Cairns Private Hospital CEO Ben Tooth, with from left, register nurse Britney Marsh, perioperative services manager Jo O’Leary, registered nurse Rachel Reid and Dr Robert Pozzi, orthopaedic surgeon. Picture: Supplied

“We’re very excited … this is a really good milestone for (Cairns),” Dr Pozzi said.

“Reduction in surgical services during Covid has given us a huge backlog of work. Extra capacity helps us deal with that.”

Dr Pozzi said such an upgrade was needed to increase clinician numbers, which had been an ongoing concern among the Far North’s medical community.

“You can’t attract people if you don’t have the facilities,” he said.

“Anytime someone comes in and adds to capacity in a positive way, that’s good for the town … it’s essential to improving health outcomes among a growing population.”

But Dr Pozzi, who has operated in the Far North for 20 years, cited factors apart from population growth that had increased the strain on surgical services.

CEO Cairns Private Hospital Ben Tooth. Photo: Isaac McCarthy.

“People are living longer, they want to be more mobile and physically active as they age,” he said.

“That brings an ever-increasing expectation for more orthopaedic services … more people want more things fixed.

“If they hadn’t built something like this, we would be constrained very soon.

“The Cairns medical workforce has evolved in complexity … I wouldn’t be surprised if we were having this same conversation about capacity five years from now.”

Cairns Private Hospital CEO Ben Tooth said Ramsay Health Care, the parent company of the hospital, had been investing heavily in attracting more healthcare workers.

“Cairns Private Hospital has experienced significant surgical growth since opening our seventh theatre four years ago, to the point that we’re even performing certain elective surgeries on Saturdays to cater for demand and to support specialist FIFO surgeons,” Mr Tooth said.

“This year we launched new training programs as part of the Ramsay Nursing and Midwifery Academy, which now offers training for undergraduates right through to nurse practitioners and nurses who want to go on to nursing management positions.”

Originally published as Orthopaedic surgeon Robert Pozzi praises Cairns Private Hospital expansion as “pretty timely”