Work gets underway on new Tugun Satellite Hospital

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today turned the first sod on the new Tugun Satellite Hospital in a major expansion of health infrastructure on the Gold Coast. The Premier said the new Tugun Satellite Hospital would bring more health services closer to home for Gold Coast residents. "My government is investing a record amount to build more health facilities, including on the Gold Coast," the Premier said. "The new Tugun Satellite Hospital will provide a wide range of health services to the local community, where they need them. "It will focus on early intervention and day therapy services, helping to tackle the record demand in the Gold Coast's busy public hospitals. "Tugun is one of seven new facilities my government is delivering in Southeast Queensland under our $280 million Satellite Hospitals Program. "It's also on top of the new hospital we're building in Coomera and expansions at Gold Coast University Hospital and Robina Hospital. "Construction of the new Tugun Satellite Hospital is also great news for the local economy, supporting more than 100 jobs. "The latest State Budget includes a record $23.6 billion for health, up 55 per cent since 2015. "We're also delivering $9.78 billion over six years in the biggest investment in Queensland's history to create new and expanded hospitals along with 2,509 new beds." Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said the Tugun Satellite Hospital site at 57 Boyd Street would be one of seven Satellite Hospitals to be opened across the south-east to complement existing services and ease pressure on emergency departments. "All seven have been chosen to provide better access to healthcare for local communities, in convenient settings, without having to travel to major hospitals for care," Minister D'Ath said. "These Satellite Hospitals are expected to ease our busy emergency departments from treating minor ailments, so they can focus on emergencies." Gold Coast-based Palaszczuk Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the milestone for Tugun, together with the newly-announced $1.3 billion hospital for Coomera recognised the rapid increase in population and demand for services across the city. "We are the sixth largest city in the country, and by the time the Olympics roll around our population will be close to 800,000," Minister Scanlon said. "That's why we're delivering more beds, more doctors, more nurses and more ambos. "With Tugun now underway, Gold Coasters will see a pipeline of health upgrades in the city that'll rapidly come online, including major expansions at Robina and GCUH. "Investment in health now means better services, good jobs and protecting our great lifestyle as we grow." In addition to improving health outcomes, Minister for Public Works Mick de Brenni said the Government's Satellite Hospitals Program would deliver important economic returns. "More than its already huge contribution to the health sector, these Satellite Hospitals are a boon for the local economies and will boost indirect spending at retail outlets and restaurants as well as labour income," Mr de Brenni said. "The Satellite Hospitals Program will support up to 773 jobs over the program's lifetime, and we'll continue to work with the managing contractor Hutchinson Builders to ensure this project and six others are built by locals, for locals for the good of the local economy." F