But the hospital won’t be delivered all in one go, following the announcement of a new cancer care service.
The first stage of a satellite hospital being developed on Queensland’s Bribie Island is expected to open next month.
In a letter to doctors earlier this month, Queensland Health’s acting CEO of Metro North Health, Jane Hancock, said the Bribie Island Satellite Hospital (BISH) was co-named with the traditional Aboriginal name of Yarun.
She said the addition of a cancer care service to the hospital had extended the construction timetable and the decision had been made to open the hospital in stages “to enable the handover and subsequent operation of the facility while construction of the chemotherapy unit continues throughout 2024”.
Stage one will include a minor injury and illness clinic, a day medical treatment unit, kidney health services, and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander hub. The hospital will start delivering these services from 17 July, Ms Hancock wrote.
The second stage, due to open in early 2025, will include all other outpatient/referral-based services, cancer care services, outpatient mental health services, specialised allied health clinics (healthy aging and rehabilitation) and oral health services.
The minor injury and illness clinic will accept patients from 8am to 10pm seven days a week and provide walk-in urgent care for common injuries and illnesses such as strains and sprains, simple closed fractures, minor head injuries with no loss of consciousness, infections, rashes, minor cuts and burns.
It will not provide complex emergency care or be a substitute for general practice, wrote Ms Hancock.
As part of the kidney health service, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Kidney Health team will provide 12 renal dialysis chairs with capacity to treat approximately 24 patients each week at Bribie Island.
The service will be available three days per week with a focus on providing care for existing kidney health service clients.
“The Bribie Island Kidney Health service will work in conjunction with other kidney health satellites sites such as the Redcliffe Dialysis unit, the North Lakes Dialysis unit and the 12- chair service recently opened at the Kallangur Satellite Hospital,” said Ms Hancock.
Services provided within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health hub aim to reduce barriers, improve patient education and empowerment and assist in the coordination of care.
It includes Ngarrama Maternal Health, a community-based home midwifery group practice and outpatient care delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander maternal and infant health care workers. Also included is a nurse-led community service that supports emotional health and wellbeing of individuals and their families during the perinatal period, from conception to a year after the birth of a baby.
Pre-opening tours of the Bribie Island Satellite Hospital are available for GPs and health professionals. To arrange a tour please email metronorth-cabkilcoy-communications@health.qld.gov.au
Metro North Health has responsibility for operating three satellite hospitals at Caboolture, Kallangur and Bribie Island.