Qld Government to purchase Gladstone Mater Hospital to boost pandemic response

The Palaszczuk Government has announced plans to purchase the Gladstone Mater Hospital to boost bed and intensive care unit capacity in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak in Central Queensland.

The Palaszczuk Government will purchase the Gladstone Mater Hospital, enabling health authorities to expand bed and intensive care capacity in Central Queensland during the coronavirus pandemic.

Health Minister Steven Miles made the announcement in Gladstone today while visiting the region with his Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young to examine preparedness for an outbreak of the virus there.

So far, Central Queensland has only had eight cases out of Queensland’s total of 953.

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Gladstone Mater Hospital

Mr Miles said the decision to purchase the Gladstone Mater would allow Queensland Health to increase capacity to look after dozens more COVID-19 patients in the event of an outbreak in Central Queensland.

“That will, during a COVID-19 outbreak, allow us to have a dedicated COVID ward of 34 beds, as well as a dedicated COVID intensive care unit of between four and 12 beds,” he said.

“At the end of the pandemic, we will complete the purchase of the hospital and add it to the stock of the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service.

“We are working through a model which will allow private providers to continue to operate from that hospital.”

The Queensland Government has confirmed it will purchase the Gladstone Mater Hospital. Pictured from left: Local MP Glenn Butcher, Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young and Health Minister Steven Miles

The Gladstone Mater, run by Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Queensland, stopped obstetric services in October, 2018.

Last year, the hospital announced its intention to close amid a collapse in private health insurance across the country.

Private hospitals have particularly struggled in regional Queensland in recent years.

Mr Miles said money to purchase the hospital was included in the Queensland Government’s recent $1.2 billion budgetary health response plan to deal with the pandemic.

But he would not detail a purchase price.

“We are a purchaser going through a process with a vendor. While they are close friends and partners, we won’t be signalling how much we’ve put aside,” Mr Miles said.

“The sale is not finalised. What our intention is to negotiate an agreement which would agree a purchase, and a purchase price now, for a purchase that would become effective once we’ve gotten through the pandemic. That would allow the hospital to continue to operate its current services while also continue to open up that COVID-19 ward and ICU when they’re required.”