St Vincent’s Hospital expansion starts November

RESIDENTS can expect a burst of construction activity along MacKenzie St after the Toowoomba Regional Council approved St Vincent’s Private Hospital’s $15 million expansion.

The project will see new emergency and radiology departments built at the hospital’s southwest corner.

They will house a raft of modern equipment to cater for an expected 5000 visitors and patients each month.

St Vincent’s CEO Kathryn McKeefry expects construction to start by November and take 12 months to complete.

“We will enhance our emergency department,” she said.

“Currently we have two resuscitation bays and 10 examination bed and that will go to three resuscitation bays and 15 examination beds.

“We will also have medical assessment unit in that department.

“It means we will be able to hold patients for longer and in a more comfortable space while we assess them.”

The new building will also house acute treatment, ambulatory care services and telehealth services along with Xray facilities including nuclear medicine, ultrasound, X-ray, CT and MRI scanner.

There will be a new café with indoor and outdoor dining, and a florist.

This latest expansion follows refurbishments to the hospital’s theatres and kitchens and more work will follow.

“We have outgrown the space that we currently have and it is quite old,” Ms McKeefry said. “It is part of our ongoing redevelopment that we signalled to the community about three years ago. More refurbishments are coming.”