MP Shannon Fentiman calls on timeline for Mackay Base Hospital funding amid uptick in ED wait times

Waiting times for patients, some in potentially life-threatening conditions have risen in Mackay amid a new Qld health ‘ultimatum’ to turn around patients or else lose funding.

Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman and local resident Dino Bella calling out budget holes for Mackay Hospital funding at the Bluewater Quay in Mackay, July 3

The Queensland Shadow Treasurer has called on the state government to deliver a time-frame and price tag for specific funding allocation to the Mackay Base Hospital as wait times for Mackay’s ED unit rise.

It comes as a directive from Queensland Health warned that from July 1 if patients stay longer than 24 hours the responsible Health and Hospital Service will not receive the activity-based payment for that patient.

MP Shannon Fentiman, speaking in Mackay on Thursday, condemned the new ‘ultimatum’ saying it would “put patients in harm’s way”.

Construction was still underway for the expansion of the Mackay Base Hospital after an independant report saw major cost blowouts to the project. April 24, 2025

“There are many reasons why people are in ED for more than 24 hours, a lot of it is there are no beds available in other parts of the hospital,” she said.

“So, why would you punish busy hospitals by taking resources away from them?”

In March this year, 50 per cent of patients under 15 years old with a category three condition weren’t seen in the clinically recommended time.

It ranges from children in a potentially life threatening condition, to an urgent situation where the required treatment is within 30 minutes.

Instead, the median wait time was 24 minutes, up from 15 minutes last year amid a three per cent decline in patients under the same category.

MP Glen Kelly and MP Nigel Dalton announce their plan to deliver the 128 beds to Mackay Base Hospital at the Hospital's entrance, April 24, 2025

Local resident of 68 years Dino Bella said he knew hundreds of people who have seen their wait times balloon.

“I’ve known people that have gone to the Base Hospital and have had to wait for a long period of time for surgeries and things like that, and have opted out while they’ve gone down to Brisbane or down to Townsville,” he said.

The Crisafulli Government announced it would provide 128 beds for the Mackay Base Hospital through its Hospital Rescue Plan as well as delivering funding to attract 2,995 workers to hospitals linked to MHHS.

“None of those time frames have actually been delivered by this LNP government,” Ms Fentiman said.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Service Tim Nicholls said Labor allowed rates to soar and waiting lists to blow out. Picture: Liam Kidston

In response, the Minister for Health Tim Nicholls said Ms Fentiman ignored the Mackay Base Hospital when she was health minister “allowing rates to soar and waiting lists to blow out”.

“The Crisafulli Government’s $18.5bn Hospital Rescue Plan is delivering a fresh start for Mackay after a decade of Labor inaction,” he said.

A review found in April this year that the arrival of the 128 extra beds blew out by $270 million with the timeframe extending to more than 12 months.

But the LNP Government said it would commit to the upgrade which will include a multi-storey carpark and new helipad as well as the additional overnight beds, despite it now being priced at $520m.