Work has started on a $420m Aeromedical Hub at Brisbane Airport, which will house key Queensland health aerial services and be the biggest precinct of its type in the world.
State Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said the ‘super base’ would be home for Retrieval Services Queensland, Royal Flying Doctor Service, LifeFlight, and Queensland Police Service Aviation Capability Group.
Minister Fentiman said the facility would feature state-of-the-art hangars and new patient transfer facilities.
She said the $426 million initiative would bring together the state’s aeromedical healthcare providers under one roof and connect more regional, rural, and remote Queenslanders to major hospitals and medical care.
“The investment includes $217 million to build an 18,700m² multi-tenanted facility, with the remainder of funding for operational costs through to 2047.”
Minister Fentiman said the new precinct would oversee patient aeromedical retrieval and transport, clinical and logistic coordination, including statewide telehealth clinical and education support to rural and remote hospitals.
“New patient transfer facilities will be on site to safely care for people transitioning between aircraft and road ambulances.
“The joint purpose-built hub will also feature state-of-the-art hangars for fixed and rotary wing aircraft, administration areas, and a medical base for regional patient and donor transfers.”
Minister Fentiman said the new precinct would be located between Brisbane Airport’s two runways at the Airport North Precinct, to accommodate quick aerial access.
Retrieval Services Queensland A/Executive Director Michael Cussen said demand for aeromedical services was growing.
“In the last financial year, on average 60 patients were aeromedically transported every day throughout the state, with around 18 of those patients transferred to and from Brisbane hospitals via Brisbane Airport each day,” Mr Cussen said.
“The Aeromedical Hub will co-locate Queensland Health’s statewide aeromedical services, ensuring a co-ordinated approach to delivering life-saving care.
“The facility will have a purpose-built patient transfer facility to provide continued care for patients and optimise the efficient use of aeromedical assets by reducing the need to wait for ground transport during patient transfers in Brisbane.”
Brisbane Airport Chief Executive Officer Gert-Jan de Graaff said there was nothing like the scale of Brisbane Airport’s Aeromedical Precinct anywhere in the world.
“This will also be the largest multi-tenanted property built by Brisbane Airport,” Mr de Graaff said.
