New Toowoomba Hospital construction continues as workers start pouring concrete substructure
The head of Darling Downs Health has provided an update on when the new Toowoomba Hospital will be open and what services it will house.
Development
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Workers have started pouring concrete for the substructure of the new Toowoomba Hospital.
It is a significant milestone to pass as the building’s designers close in on a final layout and floor allocation for when the building is complete in time for Christmas 2027.
Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service chief executive Annette Scott said seeing the new hospital emerge from the ground had invigorated her staff.
“It has put a lot of motivation behind the workforce in the health service to see they will have something that is new and fit-for-purpose within three years,” she said.
“It is also attractive for the workforce we want to attract into the future.”
The new hospital is being built at the Baillie Henderson campus in Cranley and it is budgeted to cost $1.3bn.
About 3120 people will be employed during construction, which is expected to be complete by December 2027.
“It is historic for this community, and for us as Darling Downs Health,” Ms Scott said.
“We have never undertaken this size of an expansion in my history with the service.
“We have outgrown the CBD site, we have made no secret of that, and this will provide increased capability across both sites.”
The new hospital will house the health service’s maternity unit, cardiac services and all the overnight acute care while the CBD site will retain the planned care, such as child health services, breast screening, public health, the Indigenous Health Service, specialist outpatient services and the mental health unit.
Importantly, the Baillie Henderson site will house an expanded Emergency Department that will have 70 bays, up from 50 bays in the current department.
It will be located a short distance from the Toowoomba Bypass and the New England Highway which will speed up access for Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics.
The design phase is expected to close by December 2024 and Ms Scott said within the next six months residents will see the building starting to take shape.
“The new hospital will deliver greater access to services and ultimately, improved health outcomes for our community,” she said.
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