Queensland’s LNP government has revealed the 2,600 new hospital beds it has promised across the state will be rolled out by 2032.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the government announced it would overhaul plans from its Labor predecessors to deliver 2,200 new beds by 2028.<\/p>\n
It followed a review that found a number of the planned hospital expansions would not have been delivered by 2028 and the price tag of the works was set to grow by billions.<\/p>\n
Under the LNP’s new plan, 2,600 beds will be rolled out at a cost of about $18.5 billion \u2014 with the government confirming on Monday it was aiming to have the beds online by 2032.<\/p>\n
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The Crisafulli government aims to have 2,600 new hospital beds rolled out by 2032 instead of 2028. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)<\/p>\n
It means the timeline for the delivery of beds at a range of projects across the state have been pushed back from the original plan.<\/p>\n
For example, the former Labor government had committed to having a new 404-bed Coomera hospital project completed by the second half of 2027.<\/p>\n
Under the new plan, the LNP says 400 beds will be delivered by 2031, while an additional 200 beds will be online by 2032.<\/p>\n
In Logan, the former Labor government had planned to have 112 beds completed by December 2026 \u2014 but this will now be done by 2027.<\/p>\n
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Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the new plan has a “realistic deadline”. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
The 112 beds Labor had committed for the QEII hospital on Brisbane’s southside by the second half of 2027 will now be completed by 2028.<\/p>\n
At Redcliffe Hospital, Labor was expected to deliver 204 beds by quarter four of 2027.<\/p>\n
But under the new plan, 210 beds will be delivered by 2032, although the government says the “first beds” will be delivered by 2027.<\/p>\n
At Townsville hospital, 143 beds planned under Labor were expected to be delivered by quarter four of 2026.<\/p>\n
The LNP says it will now deliver at least 165 beds by 2028 under stage one of the hospital expansion.<\/p>\n
At Mackay hospital, Labor had committed to 128 beds by December 2026, but the LNP is yet to come up with a timeline, because work is still underway on the master plan.<\/p>\n
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Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital, at Coopers Plains, will have its new beds by 2028, the government says. (Supplied: Queensland government)<\/p>\n
The government is also still working out the master plan for the Prince Charles Hospital upgrade, which would see an extra 93 beds delivered.<\/p>\n
At Bundaberg, the government has promised to deliver 400 beds or bed alternatives as part of a new hospital \u2014 but the first 200 will not be available until 2031.<\/p>\n
Health Minister Tim Nicholls described the government’s new plan as “well thought through” and insisted the old plan was “undeliverable”.<\/p>\n