Questions raised over Redland Hospital $20m upgrade
A billboard outside Redland Hospital appeared last Friday announcing $20m in funding for the hospital. Here’s the details on the spend and why it’s got Andrew Laming MP seeing red.
Redlands Coast
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Federal Bowman MP Andrew Laming has raised questions about the $20 million Redland Hospital funding upgrade announced via a billboard outside the hospital last Friday.
Mr Laming said the sign on Wellington St, Cleveland, raised concerns for community about where the funding was for much needed “clinical upgrades” and said the $20 million upgrade was just “stuff they would be doing anyway”.
The list (see full list below) includes items like lift replacement, standby generator and steam plant replacement.
A Metro South Hospital and Health Service (MSHHS) spokeswoman said the upgrade included a $1.73 million four-bed expansion of the Emergency Department and birth suite refurbishment which had already been publicly announced.
“The remaining projects funded by the Priority Capital Program (PCP) are a range of critical infrastructure replacement projects—such as fire systems —that will provide the foundations for us to expand the hospital in the future,” she said.
“The billboard was installed on Friday ahead of the planned staff forum on Monday to advise staff about the range of projects underway.”
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But Mr Laming said if Queensland Health had new money it should have been “spent on clinical upgrades”.
“While these things (the list) are important they are not the reason we are having the clinical catastrophes like ramping .... none of these things will fix the clinical shortages.”
“I will be rejecting that you need this for the clinical expansion.”
“And my questions are what is the expansion and is it funded?”
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Capalaba MP Don Brown and Redlands MP Kim Richards announced the billboard on Mr Brown’s Facebook page when it was erected.
Mr Brown said on Facebook the “exciting $20m expansion for the emergency and maternity wards .. just about to begin .. fantastic this is happening”.
Ms Richards said the $20m expansion “is a great way to get works underway on delivering better health services for our community in Redlands”.
But Mr Laming said the figure did not match community expectation.
“My sense is there is no new money, this is normal operational funding - all hospitals organically grow and it is simply the non-staff budget - these are things hospitals do all the time,” he said.
The $20m infrastructure list
- Redland Thermostatic Mixing Valves (Construction) $2.697m
- Redland Fire Panel & Emergency Warning Replacement (Construction) $2.643m
- Lifts (1-4) Replacement (Design) $2.736m
- UV Light Replacement (Design) $3.504m
- Medical Gas Compliance (Design) $1.393m
- Roof Replacement (Design) $961k
- Replacement of Standby Generator (Design) $3.8m
- Redland Health Service Centre – Mechanical HVAC Replacement (Design) $1.822m
- Steam Plant Replacement (Design) $1.435m
- Emergency & Birthing Suite Refurbishment (Planning) $1.73m
Source: Queensland Health (MSHHS). Items are either in construction, design or planning.
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