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Rockhampton Hospital

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Coordinates: 23°22′47″S 150°29′39″E / 23.3797°S 150.4943°E / -23.3797; 150.4943
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Rockhampton Hospital
Queensland Health
Signage at Rockhampton Hospital, 2019
Map
Geography
Location2 Canning Street, The Range, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates23°22′47″S 150°29′39″E / 23.3797°S 150.4943°E / -23.3797; 150.4943
Organisation
Care systemPublic Medicare (Australia)
TypeTertiary Referral
Affiliated universityCentral Queensland University
Services
Emergency departmentYes
Beds300
Helipads
HelipadICAO: YXRK
Number Length Surface
ft m
1 stainless steel
History
Openedunknown
Links
WebsiteOfficial Website

Rockhampton Hospital is the largest major hospital in Central Queensland, Australia. Operated by Queensland Health as a public hospital, the hospital offers a wide range of medical services to a population of about 230,000 throughout the Rockhampton, Gladstone, the Capricorn Coast and Emerald communities.[1]

Geography

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The hospital is located in The Range about 4 km from the Rockhampton CBD, on a block bounded by Canning Street, North Street and Quarry Street.

History

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Main article: History of Rockhampton Base Hospital
Nursing staff at Rockhampton Hospital, circa 1908

The Rockhampton Hospital site at The Range was established in 1867, and was the second site of a hospital in the city. However, none of the buildings from the 19th century survive. The present buildings of the hospital are from the 20th and 21st century. Two of the 20th century buildings are heritage listed:[2]

Other buildings of note that were once situated on the Rockhampton Hospital site include the Lady Goodwin Maternity Hospital (a maternity hospital opened in 1930 named in honour of the wife of Queensland Governor John Goodwin, demolished in 1986), the Rockhampton Hospital Nurses' Quarters (a five-storey accommodation building opened in 1954 and demolished in 2008) and the original Rockhampton Hospital Post Office (an on-site post office opened in 1949 and relocated in 2018).[3][4][5]

Name change

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In 1998, the name of the hospital was changed from Rockhampton Base Hospital to Rockhampton Hospital.[citation needed]

The term "base hospital" is now considered by some hospital boards to be archaic and redundant.[6]

Regional hospitals were initially named and classified as "base hospitals" in an attempt to secure funding but can now be potentially confusing for tourists who associate the word with military.[citation needed][7]

After the name change, all signage at Rockhampton Hospital was amended to remove the word "base".[citation needed]

Hospitals in other regional Queensland cities followed suit, such as in Cairns where the hospital name was similarly changed from Cairns Base Hospital to Cairns Hospital in 2013 with the hospital board there regarding the word "base" as not correctly reflecting the number and complexity of services provided by the hospital.[6][8]

Despite no longer being called Rockhampton Base Hospital, local media, politicians and community members continue to incorrectly refer to the hospital by its former name.[9]

Redevelopment

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Cancer Services Building

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Rockhampton Hospital's cancer services building, 2019

A cancer services building, incorporating new radiation oncology services, was officially opened by Cameron Dick at Rockhampton Hospital in 2015. The seven-storey building includes three floors of cancer services, an expanded intensive care unit, two general hospital wards, a plant room, staff office space and a rooftop helipad.[10][11]

The oncology services were established at the hospital after many years of lobbying from the community for better cancer treatment options in Central Queensland.[12][13][14][15]

500 cancer patients were expected to be treated in the new building within its first year, with the new oncology services creating 19 full-time jobs.[16]

Carpark

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Rockhampton Hospital's multi-storey carpark, 2019

After many years of complaints from the community about the lack of parking at Rockhampton Hospital, a new 597-space multi-storey carpark which took 18 months to build at a cost of $25 million, opened in March 2019.[17][18]

The original Rockhampton Hospital Post Office in Canning Street, which first opened in 1949, had to be removed to make way for the carpark.

It was relocated to the Rockhampton Heritage Village at Parkhurst and a new modern post office was built on the hospital site, at the corner of North and Quarry Street.[19]

Criticism

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Emergency vehicles parked outside Rockhampton Hospital's emergency department, 2019

Despite the redevelopment, Rockhampton Hospital continues to struggle with demand during busy periods, with a shortage of beds for patients in the emergency department often causing instances of "ambulance ramping" where patients are forced to wait in ambulance vehicles outside before being admitted for treatment during busy periods.[20]

According to data, ambulance ramping at the hospital increased 27% in the twelve months to February 2021.[21]

After the witnessing the hospital in a "Code Yellow" situation during a visit, Queensland Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates called for the hospital to be expanded even further.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Rockhampton Hospital". www.health.qld.gov.au. Queensland Health. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Rockhampton Hospital - Therapies Block and Medical Superintendents Residence (entry 601967)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Lady Goodwin Hospital". Australian Country Hospital Heritage Association. 2021. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Rockhampton Hospital Nurses' Quarters opened 1954". Australian Country Hospital Heritage Association. 2021. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Rockhampton Hospital view from Canning Street 1951". Australian Country Hospital Heritage Association. 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b Norman, Bob (31 July 2013). "Board announcement" (PDF). Queensland Health. Queensland Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  7. ^ Nancarrow, Kirsty; Kim, Sharnie (14 May 2013). "Push on for Cairns Hospital name change". ABC News. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  8. ^ Stevenseon, Ashleigh (1 August 2013). "Name change for Cairns Hospital". ABC News. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  9. ^ "The 10 names Rockhampton just can't give up". The Morning Bulletin. 26 April 2018. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  10. ^ "New cancer unit at Rockhampton Hospital officially opened". The Morning Bulletin. 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  11. ^ Plane, Melanie (20 June 2016). "Rocky cancer patients no longer have to travel for treatment". The Morning Bulletin. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  12. ^ Thurecht, Mikarla (9 August 2005). "Diamond flares hot at gag letter". The Morning Bulletin. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Judy leads oncology fight". The Morning Bulletin. 15 August 2006. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  14. ^ Taylor, Adrian (8 April 2010). "CQ cancer unit would be welcomed". The Morning Bulletin. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  15. ^ Taylor, Adrian (2 November 2011). "Care for cancer patients first". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  16. ^ "CQ sees 19 new ful-time jobs in radiation oncology services". The Morning Bulletin. 18 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  17. ^ McCosker, Maddelin (1 March 2019). "Rockhampton Hospital carpark set to open at last". The Morning Bulletin. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  18. ^ McCosker, Maddelin (4 March 2019). "Rockhampton locals flock to new hospital carpark". The Morning Bulletin. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  19. ^ "Hospital Post Office to retire at Rockhampton's Heritage Village". Rockhampton Regional Council. 13 December 2017. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  20. ^ Stokes, Aden (26 April 2021). "'Fix the system': Man experiences ramping at Rocky Hospital". The Morning Bulletin. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  21. ^ Stokes, Aden (14 April 2021). "New data reveals alarming number of CQ patients left waiting". The Morning Bulletin. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  22. ^ Cox, Timothy (19 May 2021). "'There's no beds': Hospital in Code Yellow during MP visit". The Morning Bulletin. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
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Media related to Rockhampton Base Hospital at Wikimedia Commons

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