Current Bundaberg Hospital site will stay, WBHHS confirms

Plans to keep Bundaberg’s current hospital running even after the new one opens has sparked a war of words from both sides of politics as the ghost of the region’s former health chief haunts this week’s announcement.

A hospital split over two sites would be “clinically dangerous” according to Burnett MP Stephen Bennett and his federal colleague and Hinkler MP Keith Pitt.

It comes after Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service (WBHHS) Board Chair Peta Jamieson confirmed Bundaberg Hospital would be located over two sites to “future-proof” services beyond the next 30 years.

$1.2 billion was announced for the new hospital in the recent state budget.

Ms Jamieson said while plans were still being worked out, there was a general idea of what patients could expect at the new and current sites.

“On the new site with the new hospital, what is expected is our most unwell, our patients requiring that overnight care, will be cared for at the new hospital,” she said

“Of course the new hospital will include the likes of our emergency department.

Bundaberg’s existing hospital will continue to be utilised once the new hospital is built, it has been revealed.

“It is generally expected that our planned care for patients that can be provided between the hours of 9 to 5 will be provided here at our current site.”

It’s also expected that some services such as cancer treatment, which are already available, will also remain at the current site.

“The cancer care facility down the road, that was only built in 2015, that’s a purpose built facility which sits outside the flood zone requirements and will be a good facility to keep in place,” Ms Jamieson said.

“Other services are going to be worked through, but it’ll take time to work out what’s the best mix of those services.”

A lack of specialists has been one of the top concerns for the community, with many residents having to make trips down to Brisbane.

Ms Jamieson confirmed that while the details were still being mapped out, specialist services provided in the new hospital would only be implemented should there be a demand for those services.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was in Bundaberg to officially announce the funding for the new hospital. Photo Paul Beutel

“If we can ensure there’s a demand for the new services and specialists actually want to come and provide those services here, there will be more specialist services provided here in the new hospital,” she said.

“That’s the important elements of a new hospital, but that won’t happen overnight.

“Of course the demand for the service and having the specialists and actual skilled individuals coming to the region [will] warrant those services being provided.”

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Debbie Carroll said the new hospital on the new site would accommodate the community’s most unwell patients, along with mental health, maternity and paediatric services, and enhanced support services such as medical imaging.

“It’s so important that all of our acute services are located together on the new site, especially for all of our patients requiring urgent care or an overnight stay,” Ms Carroll said.

Bundaberg Hospital currently has 249 beds, but with the new hospital, an additional 121 beds will be utilised, meaning 370 patients can be housed between both sites.

Mr Bennett and Mr Pitt on Tuesday highlighted concerns about “unsustainable, clinically dangerous, and unpractical” proposed split hospital service in Bundaberg following community feedback in the wake of the earlier split service announcement.

“While I welcome all announcements that will deliver more health services in Bundaberg, this statement has posed more questions than answers,” Mr Bennett said in a statement.

“Serious concerns around staffing, ambulances and diagnostics have been raised and it’s vital we have the answers before taxpayers' money is wasted or worse, health services decline.”

There were also concerns staffing issues would escalate with a shortage of medical workers already causing a headache across the region’s hospitals.

“In terms of staffing, how will doctors be able to travel and cover multiple sites at night? How many new doctors will the hospitals need to cover out of hours? How will surgeons on one site support emergency departments?,” Mr Bennett said.

“When it comes to practicalities, which site will pathology, radiology and cardiology be on. If it’s on the old site, will inpatients have to be transferred for diagnostics?

“This could then lead to a need for more ambulances, not to mention the hassle this creates for patients.”

Mr Bennett said concerns regarding a split site hospital were raised back in 2019 by former WBHHS CEO Adrian Pennington.

“Three years ago, I spoke to the previous WBHHS CEO regarding the feasibility of a potential split hospital, Mr Pennington unequivocally ruled it out,” Mr Bennett said.

“It was not an option as it was not operational cost efficient with a huge overspend on two security teams, catering departments and maintenance.

Former Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Adrian Pennington warned against creating a split-services hospital before he was sacked by WBHHS Board Chair, Peta Jamieson.

“Most alarming was the fact that it would leave the town exposed with a lack of medical staff and therefore, be clinically unsafe.

“So I ask, what has changed?”

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt said the people of Bundaberg have been continually misled by the Member for Bundaberg and the Palaszczuk Government over the new hospital.

“What our town was promised by the Member for Bundaberg was a new Level 5 Hospital,” Mr Pitt said.

“Now we find out there will be two hospital sites and no additional specialist services that an actual Level 5 Hospital would have.

“The Member for Bundaberg needs to explain why the new hospital is costing so much for so little?

“Which hospital will house which services? Where will the maternity ward be located? What happens if a patient turns up at the wrong hospital? This is a recipe for disaster and our community deserves better.

“The Palaszczuk Government has shown once again that it does not care about people that live outside the South-East corner and takes us for fools. We all know we were promised a Level 5 Hospital and it is not what we are getting.”

Mr Bennett said the demand for a previously promised Level 5 hospital with specialist services is higher than ever.

“Bundaberg has seen almost a doubling of its population since 2011 so it’s vital we get all the services that come with a ‘Level 5 Hospital’ name tag,” he said.

“That’s what we were promised, so that’s what I will continue to fight for.

“A hospital that will not only meet the needs of our community, but will educate our future doctors, surgeons, and specialists.

“Bundaberg and the Burnett deserves better.”

The Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service released a media statement on Tuesday to “clarify” that all existing beds at Bundaberg Hospital would move to the new site.

Bundaberg MP Tom Smith and Health Minister, Yvette D’Ath at the proposed site at Kay McDuff Drive, Thabeban last month.

“We also have an opportunity to take advantage of fit-for-purpose buildings on our existing site,” a spokesperson said.

“The existing site could be used to provide a range of existing non-urgent nine to five health services.

“All overnight beds will move to the new site. All acute services will be provided from the new site. We are not intending to provide any overnight services from the existing site in the future. Our acute services in the new hospital will be appropriately staffed on site.

“We agree that staffing of any existing non-urgent nine to five services that remain on the current site will need to be carefully considered. Rest assured, this all forms part of the work we’re undertaking.

“We look forward to sharing an updated concept design with the community in the coming month or so.”

Australian Medical Association (AMA) Queensland Vice President Dr Nick Yim, a GP in Hervey Bay, said a split services hospital wasn’t the problem.

Instead, he said the amount of beds that could cause havoc for patients and medical staff.

“It’s positive that the WBHHS is going to keep utilising the existing infrastructure after the new hospital is built,” Dr Yim said.

“Many regions have previously used split services, such as Gold Coast and Robina before the Gold Coast University Hospital came online.

“We don’t have enough details yet about where the new hospital will be built to comment specifically, however, there could be issues with the community not knowing which hospital to present to in an emergency, and there may be increased inter-hospital transfers.

“This new hospital won’t be online until 2027, so there is a lot of time to work out the detail.

“However, we know that the Bundaberg region will need a lot more than 370 hospital beds in the coming decades with our growing and ageing population.”

The State Government has promised the new hospital will be complete by 2027.

Originally published as Current Bundaberg Hospital site will stay, WBHHS confirms