Cairns Hospital executive outlines plans to manage ongoing hospital parking and safety concerns

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service boss Leena Singh says an additional 100 car parks will be available for staff within eight weeks — connected by a shuttle service.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service CEO has outlined the short, medium and long-term initiatives to address staff parking and safety concerns.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service boss Leena Singh says an additional 100 car parks will be available for staff within eight weeks — connected by shuttle service — as longer-term plans are finalised to improve parking and safety around the hospital.

Health service chief executive Ms Singh said the temporary ‘park 'n' ride’ solution was being negotiated with Cairns Regional Council around an existing parking site in the city area.

She said the health service was also working with the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation, which manages the hospital’s onsite carpark, about turning one floor into a ‘valet’ parking service to create additional spaces in the short term.

Ms Singh said these new spaces and services would complement the existing staff shuttle around the hospital precinct, which she initiated in 2023 in response to staff safety concerns at the time.

A shuttle service has been available to Cairns hospital staff at night since 2023.

“The shuttle service has run every day since then and it is utilised everyday — usually three people at a time on average,” Ms Singh said.

“We’re just about to secure another hundred parks elsewhere and, at that point, we’ll put on a bigger (shuttle) vehicle, which will also assist with the pick-up and drop-off.”

Ms Singh said medium and long-term parking solutions being planned included a new lot nearby within six to eight months on one of three sites being explored, and a new a multi-storey car park as part of the hospital and health service’s master plan.

“We know there is a deficiency in the carparking area … we know we really need another 2000 carparks so that is what we will be planning to build,” Ms Singh said.

“We’ve received confirmation of funding for that multi-storey car park but that needs to be planned alongside the (new) surgical centre, helipad infrastructure and the health and innovation centre so that it is an integrated building.”

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service CEO Leena Singh said ongoing concerns around staff safety and anti-social behaviour in and around the hospital were being addressed through additional security staff, de-escalation training, and new parking solutions.

Ms Singh said the hospital’s ‘landlocked’ location presented “engineering complexities” and underground carparking was not an option.

She said safety concerns raised recently by the Nurses Professional Association of Queensland on behalf of members were acknowledged, but said she wanted to assure patients that they would be safe and well-cared for at the hospital.
“We have had a number of patients calling up concerned about whether they would be safe … Cairns Hospital is safe … and everyone who works here is driven to look after our community as best they can and that is all staff – security guards, wards staff, food services, doctors and nurses,” she said,

Ms Singh said management had a long-term vision, supported by advocacy to Cairns Regional Council and various state government agencies, to “activate” the northern Esplanade area as the hospital grows, and to improve public transport.

“Activating” the northern end of the Esplanade would decrease anti-social behaviour and support safety through increased lighting and monitored security cameras, Ms Singh said.

“As it is, after hours, it is just us — it’s important that we consider activating this area so there is less of that anti-social behaviour,” Ms Singh said.

“We have absolutely been speaking to council about trimming the trees, increased lighting and increased monitored CCTV as they are all good initiatives — activation in itself allows greater activity, safer zones, more lighting, a lot more monitoring and less unsocial behaviour.”

Ms Singh said the Hospital and Health Service, in response to staff safety concerns, had also increased security staff levels in recent months and training for staff in de-escalation techniques.

The Cairns Post launched Operation Safe Zone earlier this month which called for additional parking and safer arrangements for staff.

Originally published as Cairns Hospital executive outlines plans to manage ongoing hospital parking and safety concerns