$62m ICU to transform Redland Hospital into metropolitan giant
Critically-ill patients south of Brisbane will no longer have to travel long distances for immediate intensive care after one of the largest hospitals in southeast Queensland was granted a long-awaited upgrade to include a much-needed intensive care unit.
Redlands Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Redlands Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Critically-ill patients south of Brisbane will no longer have to travel long distances for immediate intensive care after one of the largest hospitals in southeast Queensland was granted a long-awaited upgrade to include a much-needed intensive care unit.
RUGBY PLAYER TESTS POSITIVE AT REDLAND BAY
A $62 million building project will transform Redland Hospital, at Cleveland, into a major metropolitan facility, allowing it to treat up to six patients in the hospital’s first ICU ward.
The hospital is the main health centre for Redland City but has never included a designated intensive care unit.
The building project, due for completion in 2022, will also include a 32-bed ward.
Planning for the expansion followed a $6 million detailed business case and will include upgrades to a number of existing parts of the hospital.
Over the past five years, the hospital has had a 34 per cent growth in admissions and a 22 per cent increase in outpatient appointments.
It is also the site for the hugely busy COVID fever clinic for the area.
The funding follows a $50.5 million multi-level car park announcement, which will build 713 undercover parking spaces with the potential to double capacity.
The car park will ensure parking capacity ahead of the major expansion.
Health Minister Steven Miles visited the hospital this morning and said the detailed business case for Stage 2 would be led by Building Queensland and would be completed by 2022.
Redland state MP Kim Richards said stage 2 would be a larger expansion that increased the hospital’s self-sufficiency.
“It will allow the community to access more services closer to home and will reduce pressure on other hospitals,” she said.
“Recently, we opened the $1.73 million Emergency Department Short Stay and Birthing Unit Expansions, including the introduction of water birthing.”
Federal MP for Bowman Andrew Laming said the funding was pork-barrelling in the lead up to next month’s election.
“As a registered medical specialist, this ICU was decades away until I took the courageous step of putting $30 million of taxpayers’ money on the table 15 months ago with no guarantee of success,” he said.
“I put a blow torch on Labor MPs and they were always going to be forced into an announcement in the shadows of an election.
“Last year’s money has activated both a multistorey carpark and an Intensive Care Unit.
“I’m calling that campaign an unqualified success and welcome the State Government finally coming to the table.”