I’ve been asked a lot of questions about satellite hospitals and what they are.
There are now seven satellite hospitals in operation throughout Queensland and so far, more than 160,000 Queenslanders have accessed health services delivered by a satellite hospital.
We know our hospitals are under pressure – we have rapid population growth, particularly in our area where we are doing a lot of the heavy lifting in providing affordable housing, and our primary health care system is struggling to keep up.
This has seen an increase in patients presenting to Emergency Departments with minor injuries and illnesses.
Each satellite hospital has a Minor Injury and Illness Clinic with medical imaging and diagnostic services and is open 7 days a week.
It provides walk-in urgent care for illnesses and injuries that are not anticipated to be life-threatening in nature.
Conditions such as simple fractures, infections and cuts, toothaches and minor head injuries.
Every satellite hospital is staffed by doctors and advanced care nurses with ED experience and a resus room and the equipment to stabilise a patient should it be necessary.
Satellite hospitals also include specialist outpatients services such as mental health support, dialysis chairs and chemotherapy support.
Thank you to the many residents who have provided feedback on what outpatient services they would like to have access to locally.
I know how hard it is to get into your local medical centre the day you need it.
If you’re new to our community you might have struggled to find a GP who is a good fit and hasn’t closed their books and so I understand how people, particularly parents and kids end up at Logan Hospital.
I’ve been there myself.
Where satellite hospitals have been built there has been a 26 per cent reduction in less serious presentations at nearby local hospitals.
That’s a win for our frontline staff working in the Emergency Departments, but also for those patients that are there presenting with serious conditions.
Providing more affordable health care options closer to home means a healthier Queensland.
