Children's Ward project user group meets with the architects
- The $1.2 billion new Bundaberg Hospital project has entered its next design phase, with detailed design workshops with staff and consumers under way this month.
- The workshops build on previous design activities, by examining room layouts in greater detail such as fixtures, furnishings, and layout of technology.
- Construction on the new Bundaberg Hospital main site is due to commence in 2024.
Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service (WBHHS) staff and consumers with lived experience are sharing valuable input to help shape the final phase of the new Bundaberg Hospital.
The previous design phase centred on the positioning of rooms within each department, ensuring seamless patient and staff flow, and comprehending the logistics of consumable delivery and waste collection and disposal.
This month, the project team has begun to turn its attention towards finer design details, delving into the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the design – from developing a complete list of technology, furniture, fixtures, and equipment all the way down to determining power point locations.
The detailed design phase is expected to be wrapped up in mid-2024. Works on the new Bundaberg Hospital main site are due to commence later this year.
The project will create more than 2,880 jobs, providing a massive boost to Bundaberg’s local economy.
The Miles Labor Government is committed to delivering great healthcare, closer to home for Queenslanders.
These works form part of the more than $14 billion Health Big Build, the largest health infrastructure investment in Queensland’s history delivering the health facilities and thousands of new beds our state needs for the coming decades.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman:
“This is an exciting milestone for the community here in Bundaberg, with shovels expected to hit in the ground in the coming months.
“I thank everyone involved in the design meetings for their key insights and contributions to ensure we have the best hospital possible for the Bundaberg community.
“The Bundaberg Hospital staff do a wonderful job caring for their community and deserve to have a modern facility that is fit-for-purpose.
“Our government is committed to delivering the health infrastructure our regions need, and this new hospital is demonstrating just that.”
Quotes attributable to and Hospital Service Chief Executive, Deborah Carroll:
“We have more than 100 local doctors, nurses, allied health and support staff, along with several valued consumers and community members, working in partnership with the architects as we enter the pointy end of the design process.
“It’s so important for the project team to hear from our clinicians and support staff, so we can design to deliver better health outcomes for our communities now and into the future.
“Our consumers and community members are equally important in this process – engaging with all types of users of our new hospital provides valuable and ongoing insight at every step of the process, so that the best patient outcomes can be achieved.
“Along with the design, a major part of our planning involves finalising our new models of care, looking at how to transform the way we work and the patient care experience.
“I’m really proud that our staff remain enthusiastic and committed to the design process for our new hospital, while juggling their day-to-day workloads – it truly is a testament to how much this project means to them and their community.”
Quotes attributable to WBHHS consumer, Ruth Pickton:
“A few years ago, I spent many months staying in the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane as my child received treatment for advanced cancer and related conditions that almost took his life.
“Since then, I have been passionate about helping others.
“Contributing ‘consumer voices’ to the design phase can add to a more holistic outcome, with a hospital purposefully designed and built with not just patient health care in mind, but also their safety and comfort.
“I’ve been able to draw upon my own and others’ experiences within hospitals to express concerns and contribute ideas that have helped shape how the design has progressed.
“With a focus on how parents and carers can stay connected with children who are admitted to hospital, I was delighted when my suggestions and feedback were incorporated into the development of the ward, including play areas, study and quiet spaces, and parent retreats.
“The team have taken on board design suggestions on how patients and carers can best interact with staff, and how they may easily interact with services delivered on the ward.
“This process has been informative, enjoyable, and a way to meet others who are also invested in our local community.”