Darling Downs Health soft-launches $42m Bunya Centre day surgery at Baillie Henderson Hospital in Cranley

Patients are now being seen inside Toowoomba’s new $42m public health day surgery, which would see the city’s public health sector perform 4000 operations a year.

Toowoomba’s new $42m day surgery will give patients and residents a sneak peek at how the city’s new $1.3bn hospital will look and feel in three years’ time.

Darling Downs Health has soft-launched the new building at Baillie Henderson Hospital campus this week, after it was completed by Hutchinson Builders late last year.

Once fully operational, the new day surgery will double the capacity of Toowoomba’s public health system to undertake short or simple procedures that don’t require a hospital stay.

The unit’s position also has long-term strategic importance, being located less than 100m from where the new Toowoomba Hospital will be built.

At the soft launch of Darling Downs Health's new day surgery, called the Bunya Centre, at Baillie Henderson Hospital are Toowoomba Hospital executive director Rachel Phillips and nurse unit manager Petrina Lawton.

Hospital executive director Rachel Phillips said the “state-of-the-art” facility was also a good indication of what residents can expect when the new hospital is completed in 2027.

“This is the newest building that Darling Downs Health, the Toowoomba Hospital as well as Baillie Henderson campus has to date,” she said.

“If you walk around you can feel how spacious the campus is and it really gives us a good feel of what contemporary healthcare is going to feel like at the new Toowoomba Hospital.

“When the new hospital opens up, it will have two new day procedure theatres in it — it just means we can do as much as possible in one site and be as efficient as possible.

“This is the first indication of what the community here can experience and expect to experience from the new Toowoomba Hospital.”

A look inside one of the surgical theatres at the new Toowoomba day surgery at Baillie Henderson Hospital.

It will take up to three months for the unit to be fully operational, with suggestions from now retired Darling Downs Health chair Mike Horan the service was struggling to find enough specialists like anaesthetists to man both sites at full capacity.

Ms Phillips said the hospital had enough staff to cater for the current demand, with the scaling up of service delivery to ensure staff were made comfortable during the transition.

“The reason for the soft launch is to get used to the new environment here, it is separate from the existing hospital so it’s important for our staff to feel safe,” she said.

“What we’re trying to do is give all our staff as much time to feel comfortable with the way we do things at the existing CBD site, and as they feel more comfortable, we then transition across.

“We’ve been able to provide the workforce that’s required for the demand that we’ve got at the moment, and what we’re doing over time is increasing the staffing that can be dedicated to this site.

“Being 20 minutes between the two surgical sites can be a challenge for all services, so what we’ve got to make sure is we’ve got over and above the staffing compliments.”

At the soft launch of Darling Downs Health's new day surgery, called the Bunya Centre, at Baillie Henderson Hospital are Toowoomba Hospital executive director Rachel Phillips (right) and nurse unit manager Petrina Lawton.

Bunya Centre nursing unit manager Petrina Lawton said her staff were thrilled to be working out of new facilities.

“Approximately 40 staff will be working out of the Bunya Centre — that is made up of nurses, pharmacy, pathology, operational staff and anaesthetists,” she said.

“The staff are so excited to work here, and as Rachel said, when you walk into this building it’s so inviting, so it’s exciting to be working in a state-of-the-art facility.”

First patients welcomed as minister praises $42m facility

Wayne Scott (centre, with medical staff) was the first patient at the new $42m Toowoomba day surgery at Baillie Henderson Hospital.

The first patients have already had surgeries done at Toowoomba’s new $42m day surgery at Baillie Henderson Hospital, in a move that could see the city perform an extra 4000 operations a year.

The new facility, which opened earlier this month, includes two operating theatres, recovery and discharge spaces, waiting rooms and office spaces.

Initial patient Wayne Scott said he was thrilled by the new space.

“The Bunya Centre Day Surgery is an amazing new facility; I feel privileged to have been the first patient and my experience couldn’t have been better,” he said.

Health minister Shannon Fentiman called the day surgery a “gamechanger” for the region’s public healthcare system, which has been struggling with a backlog of elective surgeries.

A first look at the new Toowoomba day surgery at Baillie Henderson Hospital.

“The new Bunya Centre Day Surgery is a gamechanger for people living in the Darling Downs region,” she said.

“The two additional theatres will mean more patients can receive the care they need, when they need it.

“I look forward to works beginning on the new Toowoomba Hospital soon, which will deliver 118 beds to further boost healthcare in the region.”

Originally published as Darling Downs Health soft-launches $42m Bunya Centre day surgery at Baillie Henderson Hospital in Cranley