Healthcare staff at Biggenden Multipurpose Health Service are enjoying modern and more comfortable accommodation with the installation of 10 new self-contained units.
Each one-bedroom air-conditioned unit includes an ensuite, kitchen, living area and laundry and a small outdoor deck.
One also has an accessible design to cater to the needs of people with a disability.
The modular buildings were manufactured offsite in a factory in Brisbane, minimising noise and disruption to hospital operations, staff, and patients.
Buildings were then delivered to Biggenden and craned into place in mid-September enabling service connections and the final touches to be completed.
Fleetwood Australia was the appointed contractor to deliver the project.
Graduate nurses and visiting health professionals were previously accommodated in ageing nurses’ quarters with single rooms and shared amenities.
The nurses’ quarters had served the local healthcare workforce well for more than 75 years, but the building had deteriorated and was no longer fit for purpose.
Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive, Debbie Carroll said, “Our new staff accommodation in Biggenden will go a long way toward helping to attract and retain vital healthcare workers to the area,” she said.
“Consistent with issues being experienced Australia wide, securing contemporary and suitable accommodation for our workforce continues to be a challenge for us.
“I have no doubt this project will improve quality of life for staff who are now enjoying the new accommodation and be a positive motivating factor for our future graduate nurses and health professionals choosing to relocate to Biggenden.
“Modular construction is also a first for Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service and we’ve been impressed by how quickly the project has come together.”