Cairns Hospital’s mental health unit finally opens… just in time for more works to begin

Cairns Hospital’s new $83.4m mental health unit will admit its first patients next month, but concern has already emerged as to whether the state-of-the-art facility is fit to meet the city’s growing demands.

Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls has foreshadowed a need to spend more on mental health services in the Far North during his latest visit to Cairns. Picture: Brendan Radke

Cairns Hospital’s new $83.4m mental health unit will admit its first patients next month, but concern has emerged as to whether the state-of-the-art facility will meet the city’s growing demands.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls toured the unit – which features 53 beds, 10 of which are dedicated mental health intensive care beds – on Wednesday alongside the LNP’s three Far North MPs.

Designers placed a greater emphasis on open spaces and natural light within the new Cairns mental health unit with views of the Esplanade from common areas within the facility. Image: Samuel Davis

With just five extra beds compared to the hospital’s current facility and limited capacity to expand the new Lake St site, Mr Nicholls conceded more mental health beds would have to be found elsewhere in the near future.

“This facility solves the problem for the time being,” he said.

“But there will always be a need for expansion as services grow.”

The new Cairns mental health unit will accommodate more than 60 patients with staff providing around-the-clock care within the wards. Image: Samuel Davis

The facility includes sensory gardens, a gymnasium, therapy and activities area, an occupational therapy kitchen, safe outdoor spaces as well as bay windows in each patient’s room.

A patient's room inside the new Cairns mental health unit, set to admit its first patients in February. Image: Samuel Davis

The new unit will provide contemporary care for acute mental health patients, with a focus on calming, therapeutic spaces.

“There’s no comparison (to the former facility),” Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service’s (CHHHS) mental health director Wade Norrie said.

“There are open spaces. It’s been done with co-design, involving consumers, particularly our staff. The project team have spent the last 12 months working diligently around models of care, access, practices, policies and procedure.”

A sensory room will give patients and staff the capacity to "de-escalate" incidents in a safe environment. Image: Samuel Davis

CHHHS chief executive Leena Singh said the new wards were developed to be an important piece of health infrastructure for the community.

“Extensive planning has gone into the design of the facility to significantly improve the experience for both the patients and staff,” Ms Singh said.

“A recruitment drive has been underway since late last year to fill nearly 40 positions across a range of services provided by the ward, including nursing, social workers, pharmacists, cleaners, peer support workers, exercise physiologists and administration officers.”

The wards where the mental health unit was previously located will now form part of the $250m Cairns Hospital Expansion Project, providing an additional 64 hospital beds for the Cairns community.

The new building in which the unit is located is called Jugarrbaajing, a name which means “unsettled mind”, was chosen by representatives of the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji traditional owner group.

Originally published as Cairns Hospital’s mental health unit finally opens… just in time for more works to begin