New Health Minister Shannon Fentiman visited Hervey Bay and Maryborough hospials as part of her tour of the Wide Bay-Burnett region on Wednesday (7 June).
- New Health Minister Shannon Fentiman inspected the progress of the almost $40 million Fraser Coast Mental Health Project.
- The upgrade will deliver a new 22-bed mental health inpatient unit at Hervey Bay Hospital and refurbishment of the current mental health inpatient unit at Maryborough Hospital into a refurbished 10-bed specialist sub-acute unit.
- These works will more than double current mental health bed capacity in the region.
- The $40 million Hervey Bay Hospital expansion is also advancing, with detailed design work nearing completion.
The Minister viewed the progress on the $39.61 million project that will more than double the number of public mental health beds on the Fraser Coast.
Construction of the unit is the first stage of the Fraser Coast Mental Health Project, which will deliver a 22-bed acute mental health inpatient unit.
Once completed, staff and acute patients from the existing mental health unit at Maryborough Hospital will be relocated to the new facility, while the former unit will be transformed into a 10-bed specialist sub-acute unit that focuses on mental health care for older people.
The $40 million Hervey Bay Hospital expansion will accommodate 35 additional beds.
As part of the expansion, a new rooftop helipad will be built to enable patients to be transferred directly from the roof to the ED or intensive care unit.
“The Fraser Coast has a growing and ageing population and these two projects, worth $80 million, will make a significant difference to the health of people living locally," Ms Fentiman said.
“I’m excited to be able to visit Hervey Bay Hospital and see for myself how well these projects are progressing.
“The Fraser Coast Mental Health Project will more than double current mental health bed capacity, making an enormous difference for this growing region.
“We know that our health system is facing increasing demand, and that is why we are making nation-leading investments in our health infrastructure – delivering more beds, better services, and better patient outcomes.”
Member for Hervey Bay, Adrian Tantari said "the Hervey Bay Hospital expansion is another step in the ongoing plan to upgrade our local Hospital facilities, meeting the needs of Hervey Bay residents and providing state of the art facilities for our hard working health staff.
“The soon to be completed, new 22-bed mental health inpatient unit, is timely for locals who need treatment, giving patients access to care sooner, and closer to home.
“The Palaszczuk Government is listening to the Hervey Bay community, and I will continue to advocate for better health outcomes for our community.”
Member for Maryborough, Bruce Saunders said the “refurbishing the existing mental health facility at Maryborough Hospital into a new 10-bed specialist sub-acute unit is a great result for Maryborough.
“It means better facilities for older people who require care.
“These investments will ensure residents across our region continue to receive excellent mental health services and emergency care closer to home.
“I want to thank the Health Minister for visiting our hardworking health staff, who we all know do amazing work to care for us and our families when we need it most.”