Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has announced the government will be locked in to developing two hospitals, one in conjunction with a private health organisation.

 

According to the Premier a contract has been locked in to develop the new private hospital at Kawana, with Ramsay Health Care, which is one of the largest private hospital operators in Australia.

 

The Premier has also announced that the State Government will be calling for tenders for consortia to build a two billion dollar public hospital - the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) - this month.
 
"Work starts on the new private hospital in October this year and when it opens in late 2013 we will begin seeing the first public patients treated under a service purchase arrangement with Ramsay Health Care,” she said.

 

"We will begin the search for consortia to build the new public hospital this month with a call of Expressions of Interest for this project on April 13."

 

Both new hospitals will be built on a 20 hectare site on the corner of Lake Kawana Boulevard and Kawana Way.

 

The Premier said the deal with Ramsay Health Care would deliver more beds sooner for the Sunshine Coast.

 

"Ramsay Health Care was established in Sydney in 1964 and is now a global hospital group operating 116 hospitals and day surgery facilities across Australia, the United Kingdom, France and Indonesia.

 

"They are a global company who will deliver a world class service and that is what the people of this region deserve."

 

The Premier said the contract to develop a 200 bed private hospital would deliver up to 110 extra beds for public patients from 2013.

 

Ms Bligh also confirmed the State Government's new two billion dollar public hospital would be delivered as a Public Private Partnership (PPP).

 

"The public hospital will open in 2016 with 450 beds, growing to 738 beds by 2021.

 

"This will be the biggest hospital building project in the country when construction gets underway in early 2013.

 

According to the Premier, that means that about 10,000 patients will no longer have to travel to Brisbane to access these complex services each year.

 

Ms Bligh said the project would also boost the local economy with more than 2000 workers on site during construction and employ 3500 doctors, nurses and support staff when the hospital opens.

 

"The facility will also include a $60.8M Skills, Academic and Research Centre to help attract, train and retain the next generation of clinicians on the Coast,” she said.