Mackay Base Hospital is expanding services with the opening of a 12-bed ward this week.
Acting Chief Executive Helen Chalmers said the new ward welcomed its first patients on November 1 and caters for a mix of medical and surgical cases.
“These additional beds will help meet demand from both emergency presentations and from the increasing number of elective surgeries and procedures we perform,” Ms Chalmers said.
“Fortunately the redeveloped Mackay Base Hospital has been future proofed and we have the space to expand services,” she said.
Ms Chalmers said the need for additional beds had been apparent in recent months and thanked staff for their dedication while the new ward opening was planned.
“I would like to give a big thank-you to our staff for their constant hard work and dedication to care for the Mackay community. They go above and beyond the required effort every day.
“Opening a new ward requires a significant amount of planning to ensure we recruit enough staff and have purchased all the equipment we need,” she said.
The new ward has created additional nursing, medical, allied health and operational positions.
Ms Chalmers said funding from the Mackay HHS had been used to open the ward earlier than planned.
“The Department of Health has allocated $6 million towards the cost in this financial year however we have been able to bring forward the opening from February by using local funding,” she said.
From 2017-18 on the full cost of running the ward will be met by recurrent funding of $13.5 million from the Department of Health.
The new beds are opening in a staged process, with eight additional beds opening in November and another four drawn from other wards to make up the 12-bed ward.
“The new ward will expand again in February with four additional beds opening. Beds will be reallocated from other wards to create a 22 bed ward.
“Re-allocating beds reduces the size of some larger wards and this will help ensure a more even distribution of nurses and patients throughout the hospital,” she said.
More Information
Danielle Jesser, Media and Communications Manager
mhhs-comms@health.qld.gov.au
Phone 0417 756 221
