Coast Needs a World Class Hospital
24 June 2006
The controversy over the original selection of Sippy Downs as
the preferred site for a 'super-hospital' seems increasingly
shrouded in politics. In this process 'Smart State' philosophy, and
the regional commitment to the advancement of a 'knowledge economy'
risks being sidelined. I hope political resolve and logic will
prevail over expediency.
Regardless of the process of initial decision-making, the
original decision itself was sound. My top ten reasons for
believing this are these.
One. To exploit the economies and efficiencies for training
specialist personnel, sharing facilities and advancing research,
modern hospitals are best located with universities. It is world's
best-practice and the move to this model in the last decade has
been obvious. Collocated institutions then jointly become magnets
for related specialist facilities like a medical school, a health
and sports centre and a Productive Ageing Centre, etc for targeted
community benefit.
Two. The job-generating potential through new companies
associated with the adjacent Sippy Downs knowledge precinct is
unparalleled elsewhere on the Coast. Increasingly, these companies
need university research collaboration, access to university
infrastructure and proximity to the university. Science and
technology precincts, hospitals and universities feed off each
other.
Three. There has always been receptiveness on the part of the
University to consider boundary realignments to produce an
optimally configured hospital site, including future expansion.
Four. The proximity by road to the trauma hub (the Bruce
Highway) of the Coast will next year be unequalled, including
uncongested links in every direction.
Five. The Forster Report on the Queensland Health System last
year repeatedly emphasised the need to exploit partnerships and
collocation for research and training purposes.
Six. The consultants who have conducted the current, but as yet
undisclosed review, were themselves advocates for movement to
collocation a decade ago in Sydney.
Seven. A tertiary hospital will be under greatest pressure when
there are emergencies such as storm surges or a pandemic. Sippy
Downs site is the best of the options in height, or if isolation is
required. Regional centres or residential areas would be
inappropriate, even dangerous.
Eight. Helicopter approaches can be made over less urbanised
areas.
Nine. All of the professional clinicians, nurses and researchers
who have interacted with me are supportive of the logic of
collocation, and their voices are informed.
Ten. The official announcement by the Premier in May,
reconfirmation late last year (in the publication '10') and
Minister Robertson's commitment to a major development at Sippy
Downs (November) are promises that should not be walked away from,
without raising public cynicism about the current process.
The Sunshine Coast Community needs a 21st Century hospital with
all the health and job generating benefits that flow from
collocation. Anything other than collocation would be a compromise
and the Premier's own words at the Griffith University Gold Coast
hospital last month emphasise the compelling logic from which we
should not be diverted.
This Coast now needs its own world-class hospital and
collocation is unquestionably our best chance of achieving it with
all the attendant benefits.
Professor Paul Thomas is Vice-Chancellor of University of
the Sunshine Coast