Works have finalised on a new $340 million specialist public health facility at the Herston Health Precinct in Queensland.

The 35,000 square metre Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) building is the first to be completed as part of the redevelopment of Herston Quarter – an expansive $1.1 billion health and wellbeing precinct, two kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD and adjacent to the existing Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH).

The state-of-the-art facility and Health Service was delivered by Metro North Hospital and Health Service in partnership with master developer Australian Unity. It was master-planned and designed by Hassell, built by BESIX Watpac and will soon be operated by Metro North Hospital.

BESIX Watpac Project Director, Adrian Jones, said the four-year project has resulted in a connected health environment which was designed to improve both the experience and outcomes of patients recovering from surgery.

“It was designed to swap sterile, clinical environments for a bright and welcoming setting, recognising the benefits of natural light and access to green spaces to improve recovery times. It also highlights the benefit of uninterrupted care where patients can stay in the same place and see the same medical staff in a safe and familiar environment,” Mr Jones shared.

The project included the new 184-bed STARS building, Spanish Steps and a sky-bridge linking the building to the RBWH. The works also included a 68-bed surgical and endoscopic inpatient facility with seven operating theatres, an imaging department including MRI, CT and X-Ray facilities, three endoscopy procedure rooms plus recovery spaces.

Importantly, the project was delivered lost time injury-free with almost 1.4 million hours worked – a remarkable result that the team worked hard to achieve.