Ipswich Hospital, Queensland

Coordinates: 27°37′9.36″S 152°45′31.83″E / 27.6192667°S 152.7588417°E

Ipswich Hospital
Geography
Location DDWMHSD, Queensland, Australia
Organisation
Care system Medicare
Hospital type Teaching
Affiliated university University of Queensland
Services
Beds 341 (2014)
History
Founded 1860
Links
Website http://www.health.qld.gov.au/services/westmoreton/ipswich-hosp.asp

Ipswich Hospital, in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, is a medium outer metropolitan teaching hospital affiliated with University of Queensland. Administratively it is part of the Darling Downs West Moreton Health Services District.

History

Group of Ipswich Hospital nursing students, ca. 1930. The students included in the back row from left to right: Jean McLelland (POW in Japan for three years during World War II), Ruth Robson, Sylvia Rudd, Elsie Spencer. In the front row from left to right were: Elaine Jones, Frances Leetch, Mavis Munsell, and Rita Cooney.

By its 150 year anniversary in 2010, Ipswich Hospital had 304 overnight beds with more than 35,000 admissions and treated approximately 49,000 people per year as one of Queensland's busiest emergency departments. The Ipswich Hospital's 150 year anniversary was celebrated with a series of events including a Gala Ball held on 26 February 2010.

The Ipswich Triage Scale developed by Dr Gerry Fitzgerald for the Ipswich Emergency Department in the 1980s, became the basis of the Australasian National Triage Scale adopted by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and the Australian Government. The system was adapted for use by Emergency systems in the United Kingdom & Canada.

In 2006, the Queensland Government announced a further expansion of Ipswich Hospital with an additional 84 beds at a cost of $122 million. A commitment has also been made to increase the pediatric services at Ipswich Hospital with an additional six beds and a dedicated pediatric emergency area at a cost of $6.7 million.

In 2008, more funding was allocated for the provision of a sixth operating theatre which would allow for an additional 500 procedures per year.[1]

By 2010, the Australian Medical Association of Queensland reported that the waiting list for elective surgery at Ipswich Hospital had decreased by 5% and waiting for specialist outpatient appointments had dropped by 14%.[2]

Physical components

Located on a hillside on Chelmsford Avenue in the Ipswich CBD. It serves the communities of Ipswich (on the outer urban fringe of Greater Brisbane), and the rural towns of Esk, Laidley & Boonah. There are 330 beds providing services in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Urology, ENT, Orthopaedics, Anaesthetics, Intensive Care, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and Mental Health.

The Hospital provides training at undergraduate & postgraduate levels for nursing, medical and allied health staff. The University of Queensland began a nursing course in 2004.[3]

Located in a major growth corridor for South East Queensland conurbation, the Hospital underwent major redevelopment in 1999-2000. In 2009 Queensland Health marked the hospital for another major redevelopment concentrating on the establishment of an additional 88 inpatient beds and an expansion of its Emergency Department. Forecastes of the area's population growth rates means the beds will be full by 2013.[3]

The future of the Hospital in its present location remains in question.

Medical departments

Management

See also

References

  1. Peter Foley (17 July 2008). "New hospital theatre to cut waiting times". The Queensland Times (APN News & Media Ltd). Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  2. Zane Jackson (22 May 2010). "Better than the average". The Queensland Times (APN News & Media Ltd). Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Tony Moore (30 August 2008). "Pressure grows for Ipswich hospital decision". Brisbane Times (Fairfax Digital). Retrieved 24 May 2010.

External links