Dedicated Paediatric Intensive Care Unit for Townsville Hospital

Health services for children in North Queensland will be expanded following the announcement  that a dedicated Paediatric Intensive Care Unit will be built at Townsville Hospital.
“In July 2012, Townsville Hospital received $14.75 million to deliver this unit as part of our government’s commitment to revitalising frontline health services,” Premier Campbell Newman said. “As a result of this funding, Townsville Hospital has already made available three dedicated beds for use as needed within the main adult intensive care unit. "Additional nursing, medical and allied health staff have been recruited to staff these beds and there are now 18 nurses, including a specialist clinical nurse consultant and two staff specialist doctors, with a third due to start in February this year. "The hospital is also in the process of recruiting additional allied health staff for the paediatric intensive care service.''
Mr Newman said between January and November 2013, 168 children had been cared for in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
"There is clearly a need for this service in North Queensland, with an average rate of 15 monthly admissions.”
"The existing three-bed Paediatric Intensive Care Unit has proved invaluable and an expanded, stand-alone unit will be of immense benefit to the children of North Queensland and their parents,'' Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said.