Toowoomba Hospital: Health minister Shannon Fentiman launches construction on Baillie Henderson project, backs two-campus model

Construction has started on the “game-changing” $1.3bn Toowoomba Hospital at Baillie Henderson — but not all services are moving across as part of a model the minister has supported.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has defended the two-campus approach to Toowoomba’s future public health system, which would see acute services placed on different sides of the city.

Ms Fentiman was at Baillie Henderson on Friday to launch construction of the new $1.3bn Toowoomba Hospital project, which she described as the “centrepiece” of the government’s Big Build initiative.

The new precinct, which includes an additional 118 beds and state-of-the-art emergency, pathology, imaging and maternity facility, is supposed to be delivered by 2027.

“It will be a game-changer for this region and I am so thrilled that our government is making the investment that Toowoomba and the Darling Downs region needs to keep up with the growth that this wonderful part of our state is experiencing,” she said.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman (centre) leads the sod turning of the new Toowoomba Hospital, Friday, May 3, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

But the minister confirmed acute services like mental health and other longstay patients were likely to remain at the CBD site.

This was different from the original vision put forward by Darling Downs Health nearly a decade ago, which would’ve seen everything moved into one site.

Recently retired DDH chair Mike Horan revealed last month that not only was the $1.3bn funding offer from the government in 2022 significantly lower than what had been asked for, he implied it had planned to take back the old Pechey Street site as well.

In the end, DDH negotiated to keep both sites under its control, an outcome Ms Fentiman said was satisfactory.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman speaking to the first patient of the Bunya Centre day surgery Wayne Scott, Friday, May 3, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“Having the options of two sites is a really great one for Toowoomba,” she said.

“Not only are you getting a brand-new beautiful hospital here on site, we’ll also be able to use the existing clinical buildings for things like longstay older patients, patients with less urgent needs.

“Being able to fill those gaps across the continuum of health care gives the community here really great options.”

DDH chief executive Annette Scott said the board was working on developing an operational model that allowed for mental health services to remain at the old site.

A flyover of what the new Toowoomba Hospital precinct will look like at Baillie Henderson in Cranley, courtesy of contractor John Holland and Darling Downs Health.

“We are working with the clinicians to round the models of service so there is no detrimental impact on having a dual campus approach,” she said.

“At this point, we’re pretty comfortable with the planning that’s occurring.”

Ms Fentiman said she couldn’t rule out the project’s budget increasing further, citing pressures in the construction sector.

“We’ll take that as it comes – I’m pretty sure if you talk to anyone in the community who is renovating a kitchen right now, the cost of building has gone up and there are a lot of global factors that impact on that,” he said.

“It is a significant investment, $1.3bn and as we go through construction and there are updates to the costs, we’ll let the community know.

“I am very hopeful it will still be open by 2027 – there are things we can control and other things we can’t control like the weather.”

John Holland is the lead contractor on the project, with a number of local tradespeople to be used during construction.

Ms Fentiman was also at Baillie Henderson to officially open the new Bunya Centre day surgery, which was soft-launched last month.

Originally published as Toowoomba Hospital: Health minister Shannon Fentiman launches construction on Baillie Henderson project, backs two-campus model