- An $8.3 million investment in a revamped transit lounge will officially open its doors at Redland Hospital, as part of a key election commitment delivered by the Crisafulli Government.
- As part of the Hospital Rescue Plan, Redland Hospital's new Transit Care Hub has doubled in size, increasing beds from 12 to 19, giving it the capacity to care for more than 7,000 patients each year.
- The new space will employ more than 14 full-time equivalent clinical, administrative and operational staff, and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- The Crisafulli Government is delivering easier access to health services and healing Labor's Health Crisis, with the expanded Redlands' space one of 10 new or improved transit lounges being delivered across the State.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering on another major election commitment, with an expanded transit lounge opening at Redland Hospital as part of an $80 million statewide rollout.
The Redland expansion is one of 10 new or improved transit lounge projects being built across Queensland, as part of the Crisafulli Government's plan to deliver easier access to health services.
The projects are critical to improving patient flow and reducing ambulance ramping, which skyrocketed to a high of 45.5 per cent during the former Labor Government's decade of decline because they failed to adequately invest in the State's health system.
New quarterly health data shows statewide ambulance ramping is at 35.5 per cent, the lowest it's been since 2020, while at Redland Hospital ramping has dropped 9.3 percentage points, from 65.5 per cent in the June 2025 quarter to 56.2 per cent in the June 2026 quarter.
The Crisafulli Government's fully-funded Hospital Rescue Plan is delivering more beds and new and expanded hospitals to further reduce ambulance ramping, after Labor's failed Capacity Expansion Program ballooned by billions of dollars under the chaos and crisis of the former Government.
The $8.3 million transit lounge project will help improve patient flow and drive down ambulance ramping even further, with the new-look Transit Care Hub now doubled in size and capacity.
The number of beds has increased by seven, growing from 12 to 19 beds, while the new look space will also include a dedicated minor procedure room and improved patient amenities.
More than 7000 patients will use the transit lounge each year, which will now also operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Some 60 construction jobs were supported during the project's build phase, and once the transit lounge officially opens, it will require the services of more than 14 full-time equivalent clinicians, administration and operational staff.
These jobs come after the Crisafulli Government earlier this month celebrated a major workforce milestone, with 10,000 additional health workers now employed across the state since the government was elected.
The 10,000 milestone is part of the Crisafulli Government's election commitment of adding 46,000 health workers by 2032, after the former Labor Government left behind a frontline health workforce in prolonged crisis, out-of-control ambulance ramping rates and ballooning elective surgery waitlists.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the Redland transit lounge expansion was just one of the ways the Crisafulli Government was healing Labor's Health Crisis.
"Labor failed to invest in Queensland's hospitals and health services, which meant we inherited a health service on life support," Minister Nicholls said.
"Projects like this larger Transit Care Hub at Redland Hospital are delivering easier access to health care, allowing patients to move through the hospital more efficiently to ensure beds are available for patients who need emergency and acute care."
Member for Oodgeroo Amanda Stoker said after a decade of inaction by the former Labor Government, the Crisafulli Government's Hospital Rescue Plan was delivering a fresh start for local health services.
"The former smaller transit lounge saw more than 300 patients pass through each month, making it one of the hospital's key services for patient flow," Mrs Stoker said.
"This expansion is absolutely critical to improve that flow, as our community grows and more people use our hospital."
Member for Redlands Rebecca Young said the Crisafulli Government was restoring health services when Queenslanders need them most.
"This expansion gives Redland Hospital additional space, improved facilities and greater capacity to help patients get home sooner while improving access to care for the entire Redlands community," Mrs Young said.
Member for Capalaba Russell Field said it was great that the project was also supporting local jobs.
"The Crisafulli Government is not only committed to healing Labor's Health Crisis but we also back-in projects that support local jobs, like this one has," Mr Field said.
