State Government celebrates Rockhampton’s new orthopaedic clinic

The Health Minister has revealed Rockhampton Hospital’s newly opened orthopaedic clinic is good news for the under siege ED.

Rockhampton’s new Orthopaedic Clinic has opened up this week with State Health Minister Tim Nicholls and State Member for Rockhampton Donna Kirkland holding a press conference on Thursday, May 6 to celebrate the news.

Rockhampton Hospital has a new orthopaedic clinic as the State Government assures the community there has been a drop in ramping rates at the hospital.

The new facility, which opened this week, features consultation rooms, a larger waiting area, staff areas and a plaster clinic room.

Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Lisa Blackler said the new clinic was a win for both patients and staff alike.

“Our orthopaedic clinic sees more than 100 patients every week day, and this new space will improve their experience and give much better access,” she said.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the new $7.5 million facility would help relieve pressure at the Rockhampton Hospital’s Emergency Department.

However, there is no concrete plan to upgrade the emergency department which was once described as a “war zone.”

Instead future expansion of the emergency department is being considered as part of ongoing master planning for the wider Rockhampton Hospital precinct.

In an interview with The Morning Bulletin earlier this week, Rockhampton MP Donna Kirkland said the government was ensuring that any upgrades were done properly.

“We have to get this right. It’s a major regional hospital,” she said.

State Health Minister Tim Nicholls talks to staff of the new orthopaedic clinic which opened up this week at Rockhampton Hospital.

Mr Nicholls nonetheless said that the new orthopaedic clinic will nonetheless ease congestion in the emergency department.

“The space that the fracture clinic had occupied can now be transitioned into more emergency spaces,” he said.

“That will take some time obviously, it needs reconfiguration and the appropriate services need to be provided. But that work will start occurring over the next week or so, with that will be a redesign on how patients flow through the emergency department.”

Mr Nicholls said once the changeover is made, the Rockhampton Hospital Emergency Department will potentially have up to 10 new beds.

“That’ll take it from 16 to say 25-26 or so depending on the final configuration,” he said.

“That should relieve pressure on the Emergency Department and on the ramp.”

Rockhampton Hospital’s new orthopaedic clinic has been opened and it is hoped by both State Health Minister Tim Nicholls and Rockhampton MP Donna Kirkland that the new facility will ease congestion in the Emergency Department.

The new orthopaedic clinic comes as April’s monthly hospital performance data shows Rockhampton Hospital’s ramping rates have fallen 12.3 percentage points compared to April 2024, with 31.6 per cent of ambulances ramped longer than 30 minutes compared with 43.9 per cent.

“It’s an outstanding outcome,” Mr Nicholls said.

The Rockhampton Hospital elective surgery waitlist is also following the state-wide downward trend, dropping from 2,994 patients on the waitlist in Mach to 2,806 in April.

Ms Kirkland said the new clinic as well as the data on waiting times is proof the new State Government is keeping its promise to improve the health service.

“We have been actively engaging with and working with local health workers and the community to better understand what health infrastructure Rockhampton needs,” Ms Kirkland said.

State Health Minister Tim Nicholls and Rockhampton MP Donna Kirkland pictured with Dr Ruth Varrall and Dr Sri Kanth Peddireddy at Rockhampton Hospital’s new orthopaedic clinic.

“Rockhampton is the centre hub for so many regional towns across Central Queensland, and that deserves to be reflected in our healthcare capabilities, resources and infrastructure.”