Toowoomba’s St Vincent’s Private Hospital approved by council for $8m new intensive care unit at emergency department

A ‘state of the art’ unit will be coming to a major Toowoomba hospital after it was given approval by the council, just two years after its previous extension was built.

One of Toowoomba’s major hospitals has been approved for a huge extension to create a new intensive care unit, in a move that will cost upwards of $8m.

St Vincent’s Private Hospital in East Toowoomba has been given the green light to add nearly 1000 sqm of floor area to its existing emergency department to create an intensive care unit.

It comes nearly two years after the $15m ED, dubbed the Clive Berghofer Wing Emergency Department and Queensland X-Ray Radiology Centre, was completed by Hutchinson Builders.

According to the assessment report by planning officer Emily Hinchliffe, the new unit would be built over the ED.

“It is noted that a number of extensions to the St Vincent’s Private Hospital have previously been approved by council,” the report said.

“The proposed ICU building will increase the existing GFA of the hospital by 937 sqm.

“The ICU will comprise a total of 10 beds for patients, and increase staff numbers by 12.

“The proposed development also seeks to alter the carparking arrangement of carparking area K to include an additional 10 carparking spaces, providing a total off-street carparking provision of 320 spaces for the subject site.”

An artist's impression of the new St Vincent's Private Hospital Emergency Department and Queensland X-Ray Radiology Centre.

A spokeswoman for St Vincent’s said the new ICU, which would open next year, would boost health services at the hospital.

“Our ICU is an integral part of our hospital and Toowoomba’s healthcare landscape with 1200 patients receiving intensive care every year,” she said.

“The current ICU bed capacity stands at six — the new ICU will expand capacity to eight beds, with further room available to commission up to ten beds.

“This state-of-the-art ICU is reflective of our contemporary service delivery and standards of safe patient care.

“The new unit will support St Vincent’s strategic growth trajectory, strengthening our hospital as an acute care facility.”

Hodge Real Estate’s Edward Hodge, who has sold a number of properties close to the hospital, said the extra investment would lead to several flow-on effects.

“The level of demand for properties in the St Vincent’s Hospital precinct remains incredible strong,” he said.

“Investors continue to show strong interest for properties in the precinct based on the historical capital growth and rental demand which will only grow further on the back of investment in the hospital.”