Over the last few years, Caboolture Hospital has been undergoing a major redevelopment and expansion which will include additional health services to contemporise care for their community. The development includes a five-storey clinical services building, a new six storey car park and an extensive refurbishment program which will enhance and modernise various spaces within the existing hospital.

Across Metro North, Caboolture has the highest population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and it’s great to see the strong focus on representing our First Nations community through multiple cultural abstracts and art incorporated into the new development. The impact for mental health will include improved and more contemporary spaces within the Emergency Department for people requiring mental health intervention and also enhancements to the Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Team.

Recently, members of the MNMH-Caboolture Executive and Dr Kathryn Turner had the pleasure of donning hard hats and high-vis to take a tour of the new Emergency Department. We were pleased to see there are a range of spaces available for ambulant and non-ambulant consumers requiring mental health support, both for young people and adults. This creates a great opportunity for us to think about how we respond to people in crisis within this service setting.

It is anticipated various parts of the refreshed hospital will commence a progressive opening sequence from the middle of 2023.