12:00a.m. 7th August 2008

| By Kerryn Manifold

Health minister Stephen Robertson meets with AMA Sunshine Coast reps Dr Wayne Herdy and Dr Mason Stevenson. Photo: Brett Wortman/177537

Doctors have warned there is no guarantee Kawana’s hospital will be built by 2014, leaving the Sunshine Coast drastically short of hospital beds.

Australian Medical Association Queensland president elect Dr Mason Stevenson said all the state government could know for certain was that it had a parcel of land for the hospital.

Dr Stevenson said the project to build a 650-bed facility was still to be put out to tender and predicted delays in its construction.

The claims come as the Daily fielded calls from readers outraged at surgery waiting lists, including one man who had been told he would have to wait seven years for a hand operation.

However, health minister Stephen Robertson visited Nambour General Hospital yesterday and said the region’s health services could cope with increased population despite his government announcing another 75,000 people were expected to descend on the Coast.

Mr Robertson said a planned 96-bed block at Nambour and the name of the hospital at Kawana, the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, showed the government was serious about delivering a better level of service.

He said the 96 beds came on top of another 30 already planned for Nambour and the name of the new hospital was a marketing tool which would attract quality staff from around the world.

“I don’t want to see us be caught out ever again in terms of not meeting the needs of the growing population here in Queensland,” Mr Robertson said.

“To bridge the gap, we’re increasing the number of beds on the Coast by 126 in recognition of the significant population growth.”

While the minister did not say if planning for the new hospital had taken in to account the 75,000 people who are predicted to move to the Coast when the government releases land at four locations, he said planning was done on a five-yearly basis.

“Seventy-five thousand people won’t be here overnight but that’s something we will factor in to future planning.”

Dr Stevenson said the Coast needed better health facilities now including neuro-surgery facilities, cardio services and public radio therapy services.

“While we don’t have a proper tertiary hospital on the Sunshine Coast, we will continue as doctors to refer many patients to Brisbane hospitals,” Dr Stevenson said.

“How long do we have to wait before we have basic services?”

He said the 126 extra beds at Nambour could help meet current levels of demand but the AMA would be watching the government closely to make sure it delivered the new hospital on time.

“It hasn’t even gone to tender and we want this built by 2014.

“As each month passes and delays enter the system, we can see things blowing out.

“That’s why (more beds at Nambour) is really important because it might be an interim arrangement for a little bit longer than everyone has planned for.”

Dr Stevenson said the government was not working fast enough to deliver the new hospital

He said if it was not delivered on time, Coast patients could expect longer wait times than they do now.

Mr Robertson told a recent estimates committee there were no delays in the project but the budget had blown out by $270 million.

He did not talk about delays yesterday and said plans to make 450 beds available by 2014 and another 200 beds at a later date were still current.

“We’ve got about 330 beds here at Nambour and that will increase by 126 over the next couple of years as we expand on this site.

“That’s what our predictions tell us is necessary through to 2014.

“That’s only four years away and a 30% increase in beds at this site

“Add 450 by 2014- I think that’s a significant number for the Sunshine Coast in a fairly short period of time.”

He said there was no need to bring forward the 200 beds to an earlier date.

Mr Robertson also announced about $80 million in state government funding had been allocated to the Caloundra hospital for redevelopment projects.

By the end of the year, the hospital will have an eight-bed observation unit, 12 dialysis chairs for diabetes patients, expanded oral health services and allied health and imaging services.

He said some of those services could be moved to the new hospital.

“(Caloundra) will take on a role of a community health service.

“What we’re trying to do across the Coast from Caloundra to Noosa is build a network of facilities.”