Patients at Ipswich Hospital are one step closer to improved healthcare, with the $710 million expansion project progressing to Stage 2.
This stage will see the construction of a purpose-built, multi-story acute services building at Ipswich Hospital. The building will house 200 new beds, a new and expanded emergency department, additional operating theatres, a satellite medical imaging service, a central sterilisation service, back-of-house services, and shell spaces for future development.
Stage 1 of the expansion is nearing completion, with the demolition of the former mental health building and the detailed design for Stage 2 underway.
Early works for Stage 2 are slated to begin in April, paving the way for the main construction phase later this year. The project is expected to be completed by late 2027.
Premier Steven Miles said in Ipswich, almost 20,000 people visit the hospital’s emergency department in the last quarter of 2023 (October, November, December).
“And as the region continues to grow, that number will continue to grow which makes this massive expansion project so important.
“My government will continue to act on the feedback of patents and our clinicians to improve access to healthcare in the Ipswich community, because every Queenslander deserves quality care close to home.
“I can’t wait to see Stage 2 get underway, supporting 1,700 good construction jobs in the process.”
West Moreton Health Board Chair Michael Willis said: “The West Moreton region is the fastest growing in the state and we are committed to ensuring we have health service available to meet that demand, close to home.
“We have already opened new facilities such as Ripley Satellite Hospital and the Mental Health Acute Inpatient Service in recent times, and the Ipswich Hospital Stage 2 Expansion is another key project.
“With Ipswich Hospital busier than ever before, it is vital we can continue to meet the growing healthcare demands of the community.
“The hospital expansion will allow us to do this not just in the short-term, but in the decades to come.
“We’re excited to grow as a health service and I’m looking forward to seeing the expansion take shape later this year.”