Toowoomba Hospital to be transformed into Toowoomba Health Centre

Following a $1.3 billion commitment to construct a new state-of-the-art health facility at Baillie Henderson, a longstanding debate around the future of the current hospital has been silenced. Find out what will happen here.

Ongoing speculation and debate has been set aside as the official plan for Toowoomba’s current hospital has been unveiled.

Coming on the back of the state government’s $1.3 billion investment into the city’s new hospital, Darling Downs Health has predicted Toowoomba will be the “capital city of health”.

“The vision for Darling Downs Health is in five or six years time, we’ll have a brand new hospital with 24-hour services and here in the middle of the city, we will have a Toowoomba Health Centre with a nine-to-five care services like specialised outpatients, dental and other services,” Darling Downs Health and Hospital chairman Mike Horan said.

Mr Horan said the health centre, currently the Toowoomba Hospital, would have options to provide education and training facilities to other health-related industries.

“The world’s your oyster with the CBD site,” he said.

Artist impressions of the new Toowoomba Hospital at the site of the old Baillie Henderson Hospital site. Photo: Supplied.

Early enabling works, including electric works, have begun at the Baillie Henderson site, with earthworks to start in the coming months.

The new Toowoomba Hospital is set for a 2027 completion.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said retaining the current hospital site, alongside the incoming hospital at Baillie Henderson, would set the region up for future growth and demands.

As the district’s population continues to grow and the region battles countless viruses, the Toowoomba Hospital’s wait times have been placed under the spotlight as Mrs D’Ath said ramping was a serious issue.

A $18 million upgrade to the emergency department and the development of an isolation unit is aimed to help provide additional support for patients and is due for completion later this year.

However, the wait times are linked with the national GP shortage.

“We have been told that in the next five years, only about 15 per cent of those medical professionals graduating are wanting to become a GP,” Mrs D’Ath said.

“That’s going to leave us with a significant shortage.

“This is a global problem … and we’re doing everything we can. There’s no quick fix.”

Mrs D’Ath said the lack of GPs was contributing to an increase in patients seeking help at emergency departments.

Queensland Health reported 40 per cent of patients were forced to wait longer than the recommended time in the June 2022 quarter.

Almost 50 per cent of category three patients, classified as potentially life-threatening cases, failed to be seen within the recommended 30 minutes by staff.

“We know (Darling Downs Health) has had significant demand and growth over a number of years,” Mrs D’Ath said.

“I’ve seen how congested the Emergency Department is and it will be great to see those new (ED) treatment spaces opening up later this year.”

Originally published as Toowoomba Hospital to be transformed into Toowoomba Health Centre