The Crisafulli Government is delivering an expanded transit lounge at Cairns Base Hospital to help ease pressure on the hospital’s busy emergency department and improve patient care.
The expanded lounge will provide a total of 10 beds and 7 treatment chairs, up from the current 5 beds and 7 chairs. This will allow patients awaiting admission, discharge, transfer, or outpatient appointments to be cared for in a dedicated area, freeing up critical inpatient beds for emergency care.
The transit lounge is part of a record-breaking $80 million investment through the Easier Access to Health Services Plan, which includes the creation of one new and six expanded transit lounges at seven of Queensland’s busiest hospitals. These facilities form a key part of the government’s long-term strategy to reduce ambulance ramping and ensure patients receive timely care closer to home.
Cairns Base Hospital is one of Queensland’s busiest hospitals, with more than 87,220 emergency department patients in the past year.
All seven transit lounges are expected to be operational by late 2026, with additional frontline healthcare workers hired to support the expanded facilities. This investment demonstrates the government’s commitment to fix bottlenecks, reduce ramping rates, and deliver better care sooner.
