Queensland X-Ray to open training facility at Westcourt clinic for CQU students

Queensland X-Ray has revealed the major infrastructure change it will make to its Cairns services to support the onset of a new degree expected to ease medical imaging workforce challenges.

Queensland X-Ray has revealed the major infrastructure change it will make to its Cairns services to support the onset of a new degree expected to ease medical imaging workforce challenges.

The service’s chief radiographer Patrick Kelleher said Queensland X-Ray would build a medical imaging training facility at its Westcourt clinic to help students in the practical element of their Bachelor of Medical Imaging – set to start at CQUniversity next year.

It comes as university brings forwards it Bachelor of Medical Imaging course offering from 2028 to 2026, after securing bipartisan federal support towards its now $87.5m CBD campus.

The university argued during the planning phase of its initial $50m expansion, it had identified shortfalls in the region’s allied health workforce, leading to call for additional funds to construct the aptly named allied health and engineering wing.

An updated artist impression of the CQUniversity Cairns CBD campus showing what would become the "health and engineering wing" should the provider receive additional federal funding. Construction on the original concept is still expected to start in 2025 and be complete by 2028.

The new campus is expected to be completed and start teaching by 2028, but the funding guarantee provided the university the “confidence” to bring forward the medical imaging course.

It coincided with the Cairns Post’s Critical Condition campaign which highlighted significant wait times for women being diagnosed with breast cancer, and successfully reinstated a lost diagnostic service earlier this year.

Mr Kelleher said when the Westcourt clinic was designed, it had always had rooms slated for expansion, but they would now be converted to exclusive student use.

“At the moment in Cairns, medical imaging staffing is incredibly low,” he said.

Queensland X-Ray chief radiographer Patrick Kelleher with Labor Leichhardt candidate Matt Smith, CQU associate vice president for the Far North region Jodie Duignan-George and senator Nita Green reviewing the university's expansion plans.

“We need local students to help fill the roles that are available currently across all sites. This will provide us a great opportunity to continue our services in Cairns and to continue to grow and meet, meet the needs of the public.”

Mr Kelleher said the temporary training facility at Westcourt would look to host about 20 students per year, and “build on that” over time when the training equipment eventually moved to CQU’s new CBD campus.

The university’s associate vice president for the Far North region Jodie Duignan-George welcomed the additional $27.5m in funding alongside Labor Leichhardt candidate Matt Smith and Senator for Queensland Nita Green, pointing to a survey that showed 86 per cent of CQU stayed where they studied after graduation.

“So that’s more professionals that are actually going in to keeping critical services open,” she said.

Ms Duignan-George said the university was in the “final throws” of the negotiations with Cairns Regional Council of the transfer of the land, opposite the Cairns Convention Centre – the site of the new CBD campus.

Originally published as Queensland X-Ray to open training facility at Westcourt clinic for CQU students