Health Workforce Accommodation A Must For Hinchinbrook

Access to healthcare in Hinchinbrook should not depend on whether healthcare workers can find a place to live, but right now, it does.

Member for Hinchinbrook, Wayde Chiesa MP, said workforce accommodation remains one of the biggest barriers to strengthening health services at Ingham Hospital, with the issue long backed by the local community.

“Health services cannot grow without secure, appropriate accommodation for staff,” Mr Chiesa said.

“Right now, there are just 17 onsite beds available and that’s simply not enough to support the doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers our region relies on every day.”

Mr Chiesa said in regional communities, access to housing is often the deciding factor in whether healthcare workers choose to come, stay, or leave.

“It’s simple: no accommodation means no workforce, and no workforce means no healthcare,” he said.

The Queensland Government has proposed to deliver 12 new staff accommodation units at Ingham Hospital, replacing outdated housing and making better use of the existing site.

Mr Chiesa welcomed the proposal as a positive step.

“Our community depends on a strong and stable health workforce, and that starts with making sure staff have suitable places to live.”

Mr Chiesa said the push for additional accommodation reflects strong grassroots advocacy from across the community.

“At the end of the day, this isn’t about buildings, it’s about ensuring our community has access to the healthcare it deserves.”

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