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PDF printable version of Older and Frail Brisbane Patients to Benefit from National Health Reform (PDF 27 KB)

Joint release

The Hon Nicola Roxon MP
Minister for Health and Ageing

Senator Mark Furner
Senator for Quensland

2 September 2011

National health reform is delivering extra resources for subacute care in Brisbane with new 32 subacute care beds at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) announced today.

Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon announced that the RBWH will benefit from a new 28 bed Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit and an expansion of inpatient and day rehabilitation services at the hospital, as part of a package of $28 million of investments at the hospital and across Metro North Health Service District.

“Giving hospitals the resources they need for more beds and better care is a key priority of national health reform,” Minister Roxon said.

“This new unit will help provide care for older and frail Brisbane patients, helping to reduce the amount of time they have to spend in hospital and providing support to prevent any unnecessary readmissions in the future.

“In addition, the new rehabilitation services will provide four new subacute beds and additional day hospital capacity to help patients to recover from illnesses and major operations.

“This comes on top of two new operating theatres that have already been delivered at RBWH from an earlier $5.1 million investment by the Commonwealth.” Minister Roxon said.

Today’s investments in RBWH are part of a series of announcements of extra services from national health reform announced in Queensland this week, including:

• Ten subacute bed equivalent services announced for Ipswich Hospital (or an extra 3,280 occupied bed days);
• Nine subacute beds at Carrara Rehabilitation Unit and expansion of the outpatients and outreach clinics;
• Six subacute beds for the Boonah Hospital for rehabilitation and geriatric services; and
• Six subacute beds for the Brighton Rehabilitation Centre to be announced later today.

Queensland Senator Mark Furner said that today’s announcements combine with earlier national health reform investments that are benefiting hospitals across the state including more beds and services in Logan, Queen Elizabeth II, Redcliffe, Cairns, Maryborough and Toowoomba.

“National health reform is delivering for Queensland by providing more beds and better health care where it’s needed,” said Senator Furner.

“This shows how the Gillard and Bligh Governments are working together to provide better health care for Queenslanders, closer to home as we deliver at least 265 new subacute beds through national health reform.”

State Member for Brisbane Central Grace Grace MP welcomed these new services for Brisbane residents.

“The Bligh and Gillard Governments are working hard to deliver more services closer to home for Brisbane residents.

“More nurses and allied health workers working as part of the rehabilitation service will enable more Brisbane residents who are elderly or frail, to get well in their own homes and regain their independence,” Ms Grace said.

Since 2007, the Commonwealth has committed $16.1 billion in new funding for Queensland’s health and hospital system through national health reform.

For more information about national health reform, visit www.yourhealth.gov.au.

For more information, contact the Minister's Office on (02) 6277 7220