Cairns Hospital Acute Services Building
FNQ Health and Innovation Precinct
The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service’s operations extend across Far North Queensland to some of the most remote communities in the state, with a population increasingly experiencing complex, chronic conditions at a level above national average. Cairns Hospital is the only major referral hospital in FNQ, also providing care to patients from across Cape York and the Torres Strait. Expanded health services, clinical research and education are critical to meet the health needs of FNQ’s growing population. Significantly, the region also supports a growing current visitor population of close to three million a year. Our region’s Hospital and Health Services, supported by the Northern Queensland Primary Healthcare Network, James Cook University (JCU), CQUniversity, TAFE Queensland and other tertiary institutions, are working to ensure that Cairns grows its own medical, nursing and allied health workforce, to expand its clinical services and translate research into practice to improve health outcomes for FNQ communities. Embedding research and expanding education will enable CHHHS to provide best-practice healthcare and support Cairns Hospital’s transition to tertiary hospital status within the next six years. This will allow both the hospital and JCU to attract and retain researchers and specialists, deepening health service delivery. With more than 2,000 health related student placements in 2023 alone, JCU is a major strategic partner with a growing investment into the Cairns region, such as the recent opening of a medical school allowing students to complete their full six-year training locally, and the construction of JCU’s Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre which will provide facilities for clinical teaching, training and research.
The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) is facing mounting pressure to support a rapidly growing and ageing population, leading to an ever-increasing demand for healthcare services. The 2022-2023 CHHHS annual report reveals that Cairns Hospital is already operating at full capacity, serving an estimated population of 289,000, including residents from the expansive Cape and Torres region. The hospital's Emergency Department alone saw a 5.1% increase in presentations last year, with over 90,000 cases.
As the region's population is projected to grow by 67,000 people by 2032, the urgency to develop a new Acute Services Building (ASB) has become critical. This new facility is essential to address the current capacity shortfall, enhance resilience against environmental risks, and support the hospital's transition to a full tertiary level institution by 2030.
Benefits to the region
• Increased service capacity, ensuring equitable access to health services across FNQ
• Multinational research and education partnerships
• Capacity to capitalise on global tropical medicine and rural generalist specialisation
• Attract and retain skilled clinicians, researchers and innovators
• Improve First Nations People health and wellbeing
• Increased climate resilience
• Improved health and wellbeing outcomes for Queenslanders
• Growing the regions knowledge economy and ensuring the economic resilience of the Far North
Recommendation
The Queensland Government commits to the delivery of the new Cairns Hospital acute services building and supports this through a commitment of $6m to fund a business case for the new Acute Services Building, enabling Cairns Hospital to meet predicted health service demands.
Overview
The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service must support a growing population which creates demand for healthcare services consistently outstripping population growth. The CHHHS annual report for 2022-2023 highlighted that Cairns Hospital supports an estimated resident population of 289,000, including the regular provision of acute medical services for residents of the Cape and Torres region, an area larger than Victoria[i]. Cairns Hospital continues to see increased demand on its Emergency Department with more than 90,000 presentations to the Cairns Hospital Emergency Department alone in 2022-23, a 5.1% increase on 2021-22[ii].
Combined with an estimated population growth of 2.13% (compound annual growth rate) per annum and an ageing population, it is estimated that by 2032 an additional 67,000 people will reside in the catchment area with more than one in five residents aged over 60 – a third more than the national average[iii].
With Phase 1 of Cairns Hospital’s redevelopment underway, the delivery of a new acute clinical services building in Phase 2 now becomes paramount. The requirement for a new Acute Services Building (ASB) is driven by three core elements:
Capacity: Cairns Hospital is now at capacity across all bed types with no hospital bypass option. By 2036-37, this gap is predicted to be more than 360 beds. The final 16 beds available at the Cairns Private Hospital are now in use by CHHHS, capacity is now a critical risk and immediate planning is needed for a new ASB to ensure sustainable health service delivery for the medium term.
Resilience: Cairns Hospital is the smallest block of developable land for comparable hospitals, and the waterfront location creates a significant service continuity risk (through flooding and storm surge exacerbated by climate change). This vulnerability was highlighted during the recent flooding event caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper, requiring CHHHS to prepare for possible patient relocation. A new Acute Services Building would significantly enhance resilience allowing for the relocation of vital infrastructure including the Emergency Department, Medical Imaging Department and pharmacy, all of which are currently located on the ground floor of the hospital. A new ASB would also see the relocation and construction of a new helipad on the ASB roof, from its current location on the heavily pedestrianised Esplanade foreshore. Not only would a rooftop helipad provide patients with the safest and most direct route to the Emergency Department and operating theatres via lift, but it would provide a long-term solution to the current Esplanade Helipad, which was erected in 1999 as a temporary solution for Cairns Hospital’s requirements.
Tertiary level transition: A commitment towards the ASB would expand the hospital footprint, and enhance research and education, ultimately facilitating the delivery of more complex medical and surgical services required to improve health service delivery and ultimately achieve tertiary level status. The ASB is crucial to ensuring a successful transition, providing expanded bed capacity and selected specialty services over coming years, such as high specialty needs for older persons, paediatrics, adolescent mental health and other medical and surgical specialties. This will also include new expanded clinical and professorial roles.
A commitment to delivering Phase 2 is now vital to ensure Cairns Hospital completes its transition into a full tertiary level hospital by 2030.
[i] The State of Queensland (Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service) Annual Report 2022-2023
[ii] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2024, Cairns Hospital: Total emergency department presentations, Australian Government, accessed 30 July 2024
[iii] The State of Queensland (Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service) Annual Report 2020-2021
Last updated: August 2024
| Phase 1 (2022-2026) | Phase 1 (2022-2026) | Phase 2 (2022 – 2036+) |
| Capacity Expansion Program Funded |
Cairns Health and Innovation Centre (CHIC) Initial funding committed |
New Acute Services Building Pending planning and funding commitment |
| • Relocate subacute care offsite to free up capacity for acute services at Cairns Hospital (by June 2023) • Develop the Cairns Surgical Centre to enable increased surgical capacity and to increase bed capacity at Cairns Hospital for additional acute care beds |
• Invest in construction of new Health and Innovation Centre • Deliver new, innovative care models – virtual health, ambulatory care, clinical trials (reducing bed pressures at Cairns Hospital) • Facilitate the partnering of third party domestic and international investors to develop a Far North Innovation, Research and Education precinct |
• Invest in an expanded hospital footprint to meet projected services demand • New Acute Services Building to meet critical care needs – expanded emergency dept, theatres, ICU, wards and helipad • Expanded sub-acute services • Cairns Hospital completes its transition into a full tertiary level hospital (2030) |
The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) is facing mounting pressure to support a rapidly growing and ageing population, leading to an ever-increasing demand for healthcare services. The 2022-2023 CHHHS annual report reveals that Cairns Hospital is already operating at full capacity, serving an estimated population of 289,000, including residents from the expansive Cape and Torres region. The hospital's Emergency Department alone saw a 5.1% increase in presentations last year, with over 90,000 cases.
As the region's population is projected to grow by 67,000 people by 2032, the urgency to develop a new Acute Services Building (ASB) has become critical. This new facility is essential to address the current capacity shortfall, enhance resilience against environmental risks, and support the hospital's transition to a full tertiary level institution by 2030.
Benefits to the region
• Increased service capacity, ensuring equitable access to health services across FNQ
• Multinational research and education partnerships
• Capacity to capitalise on global tropical medicine and rural generalist specialisation
• Attract and retain skilled clinicians, researchers and innovators
• Improve First Nations People health and wellbeing
• Increased climate resilience
• Improved health and wellbeing outcomes for Queenslanders
• Growing the regions knowledge economy and ensuring the economic resilience of the Far North
Recommendation
The Queensland Government commits to the delivery of the new Cairns Hospital acute services building and supports this through a commitment of $6m to fund a business case for the new Acute Services Building, enabling Cairns Hospital to meet predicted health service demands.
Overview
The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service must support a growing population which creates demand for healthcare services consistently outstripping population growth. The CHHHS annual report for 2022-2023 highlighted that Cairns Hospital supports an estimated resident population of 289,000, including the regular provision of acute medical services for residents of the Cape and Torres region, an area larger than Victoria[i]. Cairns Hospital continues to see increased demand on its Emergency Department with more than 90,000 presentations to the Cairns Hospital Emergency Department alone in 2022-23, a 5.1% increase on 2021-22[ii].
Combined with an estimated population growth of 2.13% (compound annual growth rate) per annum and an ageing population, it is estimated that by 2032 an additional 67,000 people will reside in the catchment area with more than one in five residents aged over 60 – a third more than the national average[iii].
With Phase 1 of Cairns Hospital’s redevelopment underway, the delivery of a new acute clinical services building in Phase 2 now becomes paramount. The requirement for a new Acute Services Building (ASB) is driven by three core elements:
Capacity: Cairns Hospital is now at capacity across all bed types with no hospital bypass option. By 2036-37, this gap is predicted to be more than 360 beds. The final 16 beds available at the Cairns Private Hospital are now in use by CHHHS, capacity is now a critical risk and immediate planning is needed for a new ASB to ensure sustainable health service delivery for the medium term.
Resilience: Cairns Hospital is the smallest block of developable land for comparable hospitals, and the waterfront location creates a significant service continuity risk (through flooding and storm surge exacerbated by climate change). This vulnerability was highlighted during the recent flooding event caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper, requiring CHHHS to prepare for possible patient relocation. A new Acute Services Building would significantly enhance resilience allowing for the relocation of vital infrastructure including the Emergency Department, Medical Imaging Department and pharmacy, all of which are currently located on the ground floor of the hospital. A new ASB would also see the relocation and construction of a new helipad on the ASB roof, from its current location on the heavily pedestrianised Esplanade foreshore. Not only would a rooftop helipad provide patients with the safest and most direct route to the Emergency Department and operating theatres via lift, but it would provide a long-term solution to the current Esplanade Helipad, which was erected in 1999 as a temporary solution for Cairns Hospital’s requirements.
Tertiary level transition: A commitment towards the ASB would expand the hospital footprint, and enhance research and education, ultimately facilitating the delivery of more complex medical and surgical services required to improve health service delivery and ultimately achieve tertiary level status. The ASB is crucial to ensuring a successful transition, providing expanded bed capacity and selected specialty services over coming years, such as high specialty needs for older persons, paediatrics, adolescent mental health and other medical and surgical specialties. This will also include new expanded clinical and professorial roles.
A commitment to delivering Phase 2 is now vital to ensure Cairns Hospital completes its transition into a full tertiary level hospital by 2030.
[i] The State of Queensland (Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service) Annual Report 2022-2023
[ii] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2024, Cairns Hospital: Total emergency department presentations, Australian Government, accessed 30 July 2024
[iii] The State of Queensland (Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service) Annual Report 2020-2021
Last updated: August 2024
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