Cairns Hospital emergency department’s new features formally unveiled

Cairns Hospital’s $26m upgraded emergency department has been formally opened. This is what’s included in the major expansion.

The $26.4 million Cairns Hospital emergency department expansion at the Cairns Hospital is complete, with six additional beds, a dedicated ED X-ray suite, new acute care rooms and upgraded resuscitation bays now being used by emergency patients. Cairns Hospital emergency department clinical nurse Lerisa Simpson-Harris, Member for Barron River Craig Crawford, Member for Cairns Michael Healy and clinical nurse Sharnee Dalglish inspect the emergency department's new X-ray suite. Picture: Brendan Radke

One month since it became operational, Cairns Hospital’s expanded emergency department has taken in more than 5000 patients with a suite of upgrades enhancing care for visitors.

The $26.4m project expanded the floor space of the emergency department by 298sq m and features six additional beds, more acute care rooms, a family room, an upgraded waiting room and a dedicated X-ray suite.

Officials will gather at the hospital on Friday to formally open the expanded ED, with the health facility receiving considerable capital outlay in recent years including $250m for the hospital expansion and refurbishment, $70m for a mental health unit and $60m from the State Government towards the new Cairns Health and Innovation Centre.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service director of emergency medicine Dr Richard Stone said ED staff were a key part of planning the expansion.

The $26.4 million Cairns Hospital emergency department expansion at the Cairns Hospital is complete, with six additional beds, a dedicated ED X-ray suite, new acute care rooms and upgraded resuscitation bays now being used by emergency patients. Cairns Hospital emergency department clinical nurse Sharnee Dalglish, Member for Cairns Michael Healy, Member for Barron River Craig Crawford and clinical nurse Lerisa Simpson-Harris inspect the emergency department's new X-ray suite. Picture: Brendan Radke

“This expansion includes many beneficial improvements for improved patient care, including a new X-ray imaging room, a significant increase in enclosed treatment spaces and a negative-pressure resuscitation bed,” Dr Stone said.

CHHHS chief executive Leena Singh said the expansion was a vital component of expanding the service’s capacity to serve the acute health needs of the community.

“The expansion was designed to improve flow and functionality for both our staff and for patients to be triaged and receive emergency care,” she said.

Cairns MP Michael Healy said the city was one of the fastest-growing regions in Queensland which is why the health service was attracting ongoing substantive funding, to “meet future demand”.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles walks with Health Minister Shannon Fentiman, plasterer Chelsea Drury, Cairns MP Michael Healy and plasterer Paul Obodin as they inspect construction work on the Cairns Hospital emergency department expansion in February. Picture: Brendan Radke

And State Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said the expansion was not only supporting the influx of patients, but also healthcare professionals.

“This ED expansion alone is bringing an additional 43 new health jobs to the region,” she said.

“When the LNP were in, they fired around 300 health staff in across the Cairns region

including almost 50 nurses.

“Since they left in 2015, we’ve hired more than 1500 health staff across the region including more than 870 midwives and nurses, more than 310 doctors, and more than 90 ambulance officers.”

The formal unveiling came as construction began in July on stage two of the $250m Cairns Hospital Expansion project, which is expected for completion mid-to-late 2026 and set to feature a 64-bed refurbishment, dedicated day surgery spaces, four modern operating theatres, 32 additional short stay beds and outpatient consulting rooms.

Originally published as Cairns Hospital emergency department’s new features formally unveiled