Cairns emergency department is receiving a vital upgrade to improve patient care
Work on the next phase of the $24.6m Cairns emergency department upgrade begins with expectations the new unit will relieve increasing patient loads.
Cairns
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WORK on the next phase of the $24.6m Cairns emergency department upgrade has begun with expectations the new unit will relieve increasing patient loads and complement university hospital plans.
The upgrade which has already delivered five treatment spaces in the Transit Procedure Unit and an alternate location to the Emergency Department will now also provide additional resuscitation spaces, a dedicated X-ray suite as well as upgraded waiting rooms and storage facilities.
Member for Cairns Michael Healy said the investment was important to continue improving healthcare support for Cairns patients.
“Cairns Hospital has one of the busiest EDs in the state and this upgrade will improve the function and efficiency of the department, while improving patient experience,” he said.
In 2021 there were more than 86,000 presentations to the Cairns emergency department which was an increase of more than 10,000 on 2020 numbers.
Acting Cairns Hinterland Hospital and Health Service chief executive Dr Jeremy Wellwood said the move towards a Cairns University Hospital status would involve a lot of steps and believed the expansion of the emergency department was one of them.
“Cairns University hospital is a way of thinking in terms of building that academic society of healthcare workers so we can make sure that the community gets the right treatment that the Cairns community expects,” he said.
The expansion is going to be staggered so that the emergency department can continue to care for patients as they arrive, at its normal capacity.
“We need to keep the lights on as ED is the city that never sleeps and a busy city at that.”
Dr Wellwood said the upgrade would assist staff to do their job and patients to receive faster care.
“What this upgrade will allow us to do is redesign the way we look after patients who require emergency care,” he said.
“There are lots of ways to innovate in the emergency department and this space is really going to make a difference.”
Mr Healy said the expansion would also create new jobs in construction for the Cairns community.
“The other positive thing about this upgrade, aside from the health perspective, is it will create at least 70 positions in construction,” he said.
On average the Cairns emergency department treats around 240 patients per day.
Dr Wellwood said the hospital has already implemented strategies to care for patients more quickly.
“We already have nurses who are designated to look after patients as the come out of ambulances for a full assessment,” he said.
Construction is expected to be completed by late 2023.
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