Patients at Cairns Private Hospital and Port Macquarie Private Hospital can look forward to a range of new treatment options as Ramsay Health Care continues to significantly upgrade its facilities across Australia.
Port Macquarie has announced a $30 million expansion and the Cairns site will undergo an $18 million redevelopment, while Ramsay’s St Andrew’s Ipswich and Tamara Private Hospitals have reached milestones in their own major projects.
Stage one of Port Macquarie Private Hospital’s growth plan will include a new operating theatre, on-site radiology services, new medical consulting suites, and an on-site pharmacy dispensary.
It will start in February 2023 and is due to be completed in early 2024.
“The master plan allows for significant construction in coming years including multiple new theatres, a higher acuity unit, and multiple new wards,.” Port Macquarie Private CEO Connie Porter said.
“Stage one will take us to a total of seven theatres and allow us to extend our existing surgical offerings. Patients can then stay in modern, comfortable accommodations with the upgrade of 12 of our patient rooms and bathrooms.
“I thank Ramsay Health Care for this significant investment in the Port Macquarie region, we are excited to get the build under way.”
Cairns Private Hospital is aiming to offer more services to Far North Queenslanders, with the first of its two new operating theatres due to be operational by mid-2024.
The new theatres will result in increased surgeries in specialties including ENT (ear, nose and throat), orthopaedics, urology, plastics, vascular and general surgery.
“Cairns Private Hospital has experienced significant surgical growth since opening our seventh theatre four years ago, to the point that we’re even performing certain elective surgeries on Saturdays to cater for demand and to support specialist FIFO (fly in, fly out) surgeons,” CEO Ben Tooth said.
Mr Tooth thanked Ramsay for not only investing in the hospital – the expansion will also include a new state-of-the-art sterilising department – but for helping to support the people who serve the community as well.
“Like all industries, the healthcare workforce was hit hard by the pandemic, especially in regional and rural areas,” he said.
“Ramsay Health Care has been investing heavily in initiatives to attract, retain and upskill our healthcare workers to ensure we can continue to offer the best in patient care.
“This year we launched new training programs as part of the Ramsay Nursing and Midwifery Academy, which now offers training for undergraduates right through to nurse practitioners and nurses who want to go on to nursing management positions.”
Meanwhile, St Andrew’s Ipswich Private Hospital has unveiled stage one of its $44 million development, opening two new state-of-the-art operating theatres.
CEO Michael Lewczuk said the new Stryker iSuites would help to meet the recent rise in demand for surgical and robotic procedures at the south-east Queensland hospital.
“The theatres will support an increase in neurosurgery cases and allow us to expand our robotics offerings into the specialties of gynaecology and general surgery as well as increasing capacity for the existing robotic urology program,” he said.
The remaining stages of the development include a new Comprehensive Cancer Centre, renal dialysis services, expanded radiology services and a new day rehabilitation program space purpose-built for patients’ needs.
“This expansion is another step towards Ramsay Health Care being able to provide all the services the community of Ipswich needs, eliminating the need for patients to have to travel to Brisbane for healthcare,” Mr Lewczuk said.
Tamara Private Hospital has also unveiled a new Stryker iSuite as part of stage two of its $10 million upgrade, which features a theatre staffroom and education area, and new day surgery pre- and post-operating areas.
The hospital’s new operating theatre – its fourth overall – will give residents from Tamworth and surrounding areas of the inland city in New South Wales access to advanced treatment closer to home.
“The next phase will include a new reception area and new centralised sterilising area to accommodate our four operating theatres,” CEO Trish Thornberry said.
Work on stage three has now begun, while the final phase – which will include an advanced endoscopy unit – is due to be completed in May 2023.
“These new facilities will allow us to continue to service the growing population of Tamworth,” Dr Thornberry said.
“I want to thank Ramsay Health Care for this investment in healthcare in our regional area.”
The group is also expanding its Ramsay Pharmacy sites, having opened its 61st location in Burleigh on the Gold Coast.
Based at the new multi-service Medical on Burleigh centre, it will offer expert advice, medication checks, vaccinations, personalised compounded medications for adults and children, and an extensive range of general health supplies.
