It’s going to be a record health spend according to the Premier, but so far it just looks like more shiny new hospitals.
Queensland premier Steven Miles has flagged a “record health budget”, calling it the “biggest investment to Queensland Health services, infrastructure and personnel in the state’s history”.
The budget, due to be delivered from 2pm on Tuesday 11 June, includes a $1.436 billion investment for one hospital and health service alone – Cairns and Hinterland HHS.
Specifically, an initial $60 million will go to the Cairns Health and Innovation Centre, a “cutting edge” hub focused on tropical health needs for locals, First Nations peoples and neighbouring countries. It also includes a multidisciplinary rural generalist centre for excellence.
The current health investment in Cairns and Hinterland HHS includes the $250 million Cairns Hospital Expansion which promises an additional 96 beds for the Cairns region.
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Also included in the budget spend in Cairns is a new mental health unit under construction ($70 million), emergency department redevelopment ($26.4 million), the new Cow Bay Primary Health Centre ($14.8 million) and the Cairns Youth Alcohol and Other Drugs residential treatment centre ($19.3 million).
More than $24 million will go to a new eight-bed adolescent mental health unit funded through the government’s Mental Health Levy.
Part of the investment will go towards refurbishing the existing adult mental health ward ($19 million), which will be vacated after the new $70 million facility begins admitting patients at the beginning of 2025.
The youth mental health beds are expected to be available from later in 2025. An expected 24 additional staff will help to care for children and adolescents once the new facility begins treating patients – including doctors, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and dietitians.
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