Improvements to the Gladstone Hospital are now open to patients, with the completed works providing easier access to the Emergency Department and hospital beds.
A new Transit Lounge has been built within the medical/surgical ward to address ambulance ramping, with the eight-treatment space lounge to operate seven days a week, allowing patients to leave hospital when they’re ready to, with a dedicated space for patients awaiting discharge, admission, transfer, or outpatient appointments.
Eight new frontline health staff will also be employed to support the new Transit Lounge operations.
The new area is part of an $80 million investment in new or expanded Transit Lounges to ease pressure on Queensland’s busy emergency departments.
Premier, David Crisafulli said Transit Lounges were helping to restore health services when Queenslanders needed them most.
“This investment in the Gladstone Hospital is just one of the ways we’re restoring health services when Queenslanders need them, by easing pressure on our emergency departments so patients can be seen sooner,” Premier Crisafulli said.
“This means more Central Queenslanders are able to access the Emergency Department and hospital beds sooner, and fewer ambulances left waiting.”
Alongside the new Transit Lounge, the Government is also expanding the opening hours of the Gladstone Nurse-led Walk-in Clinic, with an $875,000 funding injection.
“We stepped in to save this nurse-led clinic, opening it in December 2024 and now we’ve stepped up again to have it operate seven days a week,” said Health and Ambulance Services Minister, Tim Nicholls.
“The former Labor Government underfunded the clinic and failed to open it in September 2024 as they originally promised.”
Expanded operating hours at the clinic commence 16 February, open every day from 7am to 5pm.
