The Sunshine Coast community is growing and so are health services throughout the region.  A significant expansion of health infrastructure has already commenced and will culminate in a new $1.57 billion world-class acute care facility designed for and around Sunshine Coast communities.

Opening in 2016 with 450 overnight beds, and room to grow to 650 overnight beds, the Sunshine Coast University Hospital will deliver a range of specialist clinical services.

As a tertiary referral facility for the Sunshine Coast and surrounding areas, the Sunshine Coast University Hospital will offer the local community a higher level of more complex services than ever before.  The Sunshine Coast University Hospital will also work with local universities to provide educational and research facilities and opportunities for Queensland Health staff and the future health workforce.

Another important part of the project is the early development of a private hospital on the Kawana campus, which is planned to open in 2013.

We plan to purchase 70 public beds from the new private hospital in 2013, growing to 110 by the end of the following year.

This will provide additional capacity and allow us to develop our services to treat more residents closer to home.

The new facilities will be built on highly accessible and community-integrated 20-hectare green field site on the southern side of the Kawana Way/Lake Kawana Boulevard intersection.

The chosen location will be easy to reach by road, rail and bus through the upgraded Caloundra-Mooloolaba Road, as well as the planned Caloundra to Maroochydore bus and CAMCOS rail corridor. It is conveniently located adjacent to hub of regional growth with planned retail, residential and commercial developments.

To help keep up with current demand for health services, and to complement planning for future needs, 30 additional beds opened at Nambour General Hospital in 2008 and a further 96 beds are due to open in early 2011.

The Caloundra Health Service is also expanding with a $29.6 million redevelopment.

Patients are already benefiting from a 12-chair renal unit, 12-chair oral health unit which includes two special needs rooms, an on-site dental laboratory and sterilising department and an expanded pharmacy department which opened in December 2008.

Other works include relocated and refurbished community health services, expanded specialist outpatients, relocated and expanded occupational therapy area and expanded medical imaging department, to include a second x-ray room and CT scanner.  Stage two is due to be completed in September 2009.  A palliative care unit is planned to be operational in January 2010.

For more information visit the Sunshine Coast University Hospital web site.