As part of the West Moreton Health Master Plan, a new 50-bed mental health unit will be built on the site across from Ipswich Hospital.
The new facility, which will be bounded by Chelmsford and Kallara avenues and Walker Street, will be connected to Ipswich Hospital via an enclosed overhead bridge.
Aurecon has been appointed as manager of the project, which has been described as a state-of-the-art mental health care facility. The project manager has proven experience in health facilities in the state. Their past projects included Longreach Hospital, the Emergency Unit at Gladstone Hospital, Queensland Children’s Hospital, and the Roma Hospital redevelopment.
Acute Mental Health Unit
The new mental health unit at Ipswich Hospital aims to provide health care services that will promote the mental wellbeing and mindfulness of the patients. The design offers a residential feel, with easy access to the courtyards, gardens, and outdoor areas
Demolition of the seven properties on the site will happen in July 2020 to prepare the site for cleaning and early works. The actual construction will commence in early 2021, and the project is expected to be completed by late 2022. The project is projected to generate 100 jobs during the construction period.
The project is part of the $146.3-million commitment of the Queensland Government to the Master Plan to meet the infrastructure demand of the health sector in Ipswich. This master plan also includes the addition of a new high-tech MRI at Ipswich Hospital, a new 26-bed ward in the Ipswich Hospital Ward Block, and the acquisition of land for future Ipswich Health Precinct Stage 2.
The MRI suite opened in December 2019 to provide quick diagnosis of life-threatening diseases. It also means that people in Ipswich will no longer need to travel outside to access this type of service.
The new Ipswich Hospital ward will increase capacity at the hospital in anticipation of the population doubling by 2036.