Frontline workers say Qld hospitals falling apart

Frontline health workers say Queensland hospitals are falling apart – including one where theatre equipment has failed – with funding allocated for vital maintenance unchanged for a decade.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls. Picture: Annette Dew

Frontline health workers say Queensland’s neglected hospitals are falling apart as those delivering critical care are faced with unsafe drinking water, animals urinating in stored bedding and mould issues.

The Nurses’ Professional Association of Queensland held a survey about maintenance neglect and the feedback included staff and visitors being regularly stuck in faulty lifts and wiring on hoists exposed.

NPAQ president Kara Thomas labelled the dilapidated state of public hospitals “a safety crisis” affecting both staff and patients.

“Queensland’s public hospitals are falling apart – literally,” Ms Thomas said.

“Nurses and midwives are delivering critical care in facilities plagued by mould, broken alarms, collapsing lifts, and contaminated water. The government must act now to invest in safe, functioning healthcare infrastructure.”

Theatre equipment has failed numerous times at Charlevill hospital.

It comes as The Sunday Mail can reveal the cash allocated to maintain $30bn worth of assets across the state has remained largely the same for more than a decade.

The base money allocated for maintenance has remained unchanged since 2010 despite Queensland Health assets rising from $8bn to $30bn. Temporary funding injections were provided, however, in the 2021-22 and 2023 financial years.

The critical state of building and equipment maintenance and the risk to patients has previously been laid bare in the Auditor-General’s report on Queensland Health for 2024-25, which pointed to a shocking list of failures including the reverse osmosis units that purify water in Central Queensland.

It desperately needs to be upgraded to meet Australian Standards for use in dialysis machines. The oncology radiation technology in Metro South has broken down 32 times in the past 12 months, causing delays to treatment and limiting patient access.

The 83-year-old pre- and post-operative infrastructure at Charleville Hospital is in serious need of replacing as theatre equipment has failed numerous times.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls’ plan to tackle the dire and dangerous disrepair will be announced in 10 days.

“(Labor) left existing facilities across the state in need of over $2bn for basic maintenance and repair,” he said.

But opposition health spokesman Mark Bailey has hit back saying the government has known about the faults since January.

“Three months later the health minister should have acted on these concerns by now … they need to stop posturing and start acting,” Mr Bailey said.

Opposition health minister Mark Bailey says the government must stop posturing and start acting. Picture: Nigel Hallett

A Queensland Health spokesman said all urgent maintenance work was prioritised.

“We take seriously our responsibility to maintain infection controls, which is why we have comprehensive measures in place to reduce the risk of people catching or spreading infections in our facilities,” he said.

“This includes providing staff with personal protective equipment, designing our facilities to help prevent the spread of infections and providing annual influenza vaccination.

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Nick Yim said he was not surprised by the existence of ageing infrastructure and equipment. The AMAQ is currently working with chief health officer Heidi Carroll to improve infection control equipment in hospitals.

Originally published as Frontline workers say Qld hospitals falling apart