Aged care beds shortage in Cairns tackled
Queensland Health will sell a prime suburban property, to help tackle the shortage of aged care beds in Cairns, Health mMnister, Stephen Robertson, and state Member for Cairns, Desley Boyle, have announced.
Mr Robertson said the 1.538ha property in Hoare Street, Manunda, would be sold by tender, with the legal requirement that the new owner develop an aged care facility on the site.
“We’re hoping the sale of the Hoare St property and its development into an aged care facility that could house 70-100 clients, will reduce the aged care burden on Cairns Base Hospital and free up acute beds,” he said.
“At any one time, we have 40-50 patients in Cairns Base Hospital awaiting placement in aged care homes, but unable to move out because of the lack of such beds within the region.
“This in turn, puts pressure on our ability to deliver acute care services to those who need them.
Elderly people in need of ongoing care should be getting that care in their own home or a nursing home, freeing up acute hospital beds for our sickest patients.”
Ms Boyle said the Hoare Street property, owned by the Cairns and Hinterland Health Service District, was originally earmarked as the site for a new Community Health hub in Cairns.
“Access restrictions at the Hoare St property led to the Cairns and Hinterland District deciding instead to purchase the old Cairns North State School site in North Cairns in July 2006, for redevelopment into a Community Health hub,” she said.
“The Hoare St property has since been surplus to future requirements.”
Ms Boyle said the continuing shortage of aged care beds and services in the region was putting severe pressure on Cairns Base Hospital.
She said the Federal Government had made a number of commitments to fund new aged care beds in Cairns, including the provision of interest free loans, and it was expected any purchaser of the Hoare St property would have Commonwealth approval to develop aged care beds.
“We believe the Hoare St site will be very attractive to aged care facility providers, as suitable large sites for the provision of such services are fairly rare within the urban city limits,”
