Premier Miles says an extra 239 beds are set to be delivered this year alone as part of the government’s big hospital build. Photo: Facebook/Shannon Fentiman MP.
The Queensland Government has celebrated the start of construction of a major $250 million hospital expansion in Mackay, set to give the facility more than 100 additional beds, new birth suites and women’s and children’s health units.
As part of the 11 planned hospital expansions under the state’s biggest hospital build, Premier Steven Miles said the expanded facility would give Queenslanders access to the quality care they deserve in their communities.
“In Mackay, our $250 million investment will give locals more access to hospital beds, as well as better treatment spaces across a range of important wards,” he said.
“The expansion will generate hundreds of good local jobs and training opportunities for the region.
“The 128 extra beds for Mackay are just some of the 3300 being delivered by our government.”
These beds will be spread across the Mackay Base Hospital’s paediatric, medical and surgical wards. New birth suites are to be located on the same level as the surgical department to ensure an efficient transition of care for mothers and newborns.
The Women’s Health Unit and the Child and Adolescent Unit will move into the new contemporary wards, following the expansion’s opening in the latter half of 2026.
Initial work on the site began in February and included upgrades to essential services like water and sewerage. The build is expected to create 610 local construction jobs, and planning is underway for a multi-deck car park at the hospital.
State Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said, once completed, the extra beds would help meet rising demand for healthcare and improve the flow of patients from the emergency department into the wards.
“This is a major boost for regional healthcare and will provide residents of Mackay and surrounding areas access to additional health services closer to home,” said Ms Fentiman.
“Furthermore, our invaluable frontline health workers will be supported by state-of-the-art facilities and technologies, allowing us to attract and retain the best and brightest staff.”
The MBH has been through the ringer over the past few years, with a 2022 review of its maternity ward finding women had suffered “lifelong physical and mental harm” due to substandard clinical care.
Following the review, MBH was stripped of its accreditations to train junior doctors in obstetrics, gynaecology and general surgery. Before then Health Minister Yvette D’Ath fired the Mackay Hospital and Health Service (MHHS) board, replacing it with six new members.
It was only in August the facility won back its training accreditation from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).
A spokesperson from the college said close monitoring of the site would continue, with a follow-up accreditation visit planned in the second half of 2024.
