Coast health staff increase

GOLD Coast health services will have nearly 10 per cent extra money to address the huge demands on hospital emergency departments and mental health programs.

As revealed by the Bulletin yesterday, Gold Coast Health will have $1.391 billion for 2017-18, an increase of $107 million on 2016-17.

The health service’s payroll in the previous 12 months had almost $6 million in “unexpected costs”. Extra costs were created by “specific initiatives as well as unavoidable growth in demand for hospital and health services”.

Those initiatives in 2017-18 will focus on mental health and a program to help with the early diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

“A much-needed new mental health facility will be built at the Prince Charles Hospital costing $68 million, with associated support services in Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast,” Treasurer Curtis Pitt said.

The Government will “continue to implement initiatives” to outpatients and elective surgery are “adequately seen and treated as necessary”.

The funding will also give “new strategies” for “additional day surgical services”.

The Gold Coast is meeting targets for specialist patients awaiting surgery but is struggling with the demands in emergency departments.

The district’s payroll reached 7261 in 2016-17. The Budget for 2017-18 anticipates 7482 staff, an increase of 221.