Premier David Crisafulli commits to Rockhampton Hospital emergency department upgrades

Premier David Crisafulli has committed to upgrading a regional Queensland hospital emergency department his former shadow health minister described as a ‘war zone’ during the election.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli at Rockhampton Hospital on November 6, 2024.

Premier David Crisafulli today committed to upgrading Rockhampton Hospital’s outdated emergency department as a top priority, but would not put a dollar figure on what was needed.

His pledge, made standing outside the Rockhampton emergency department, comes just weeks after his then-Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates described it as a “war zone” during the election campaign.

Labor had promised $50m towards a new emergency department and while Mr Crisafulli didn’t mention any funding amount on his visit to the hospital today he said his government recognised the need for an urgent upgrade.

“You can’t have an emergency department bursting at the seams with ambulance ramping at 48 per cent and say it has to stay the way that it is,” he said.

Mr Crisafulli said he asked new Health Minister Tim Nicholls to come to Rockhampton next week to start the process.

“My commitment is to make sure we throw all the resources needed at this,” he said.

“I want him on the ground and I want him listening. We have to find a way to deliver the resources that are needed.

“One thing is for certain, you can’t walk through the emergency department in Rockhampton and not realise more needs to be done.”

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli talking with staff and members of the public about what the hospital needs.

Labor’s emergency department plan was expected to double the number of treatment spaces from 14 to 28, deliver a new fracture clinic, expand the short stay unit and increase the number of resuscitation spaces from three.

Mr Crisafulli didn’t reveal any specific plans for the hospital but said his government would deliver on its election promises such as a new Health Sciences Academy to be built in Rockhampton in the next four years to train the next generation of health professionals.

“We will be embarking on that but I wanted to come here to tell everyone in the system that they are valued and they are respected we want to give them a thank you for what they do and give them the confidence that the resources are coming for then to do their job in the future,” he said.

“Rockhampton plays a massive role in the future health care needs of Queensland and we intend to back this hospital.”

He also reiterated the government was following through on its election pledge to axe the payroll tax for General Practitioners to lower upfront costs for patients when seeing their local doctor and safeguarding access to local GP services across the state.

“I came here to Rocky to deliver that message,” he said.

“That’s important because the Emergency Department is under pressure and that part of that pressure is a lack of bulk billing and a lack of GPs and it’s funnelling into the ED.”

He said removing the tax would also send a positive message to people embarking on careers as a GP and also as an incentive to other GPs across the country to set up business in Queensland.