Queensland Health
Queensland Budget 2022-23 · Palaszczuk Government
As at budget day (2022-06-21)
Key service areas
Budget initiatives
A transformational $9.785 billion capital program over six years to deliver around 2,200 additional overnight hospital beds across 15 facilities, including new hospitals at Bundaberg, Toowoomba and Coomera, a new Queensland Cancer Centre at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and expansions at Cairns, Townsville, Robina, Mackay, Redcliffe, Ipswich, Hervey Bay, Princess Alexandra, QEII, The Prince Charles and Logan hospitals.
Patients across the state gain around 2,200 extra hospital beds over six years, with new hospitals in three growing regions and expansions to many existing hospitals, easing pressure on emergency departments and waiting lists.
General Government capital. $9.785B over 6 years ($5.708 billion over the forward estimates). $85.3M in 2022-23 reflects early works; spending ramps up to $3.025 billion in 2025-26. The biggest hospital building program in Queensland's history.
An additional $6.784 billion over four years to meet growing demand for health and ambulance services, supporting thousands of additional frontline staff including doctors, nurses and paramedics, and providing the Queensland Health system with a sustained, long-term funding uplift across the forward estimates.
More doctors, nurses and paramedics are funded to meet rising demand, with hospitals given greater certainty and flexibility to focus on health outcomes rather than just activity.
General Government operating. Operational Growth Funding line totals $6.784 billion over 4 years (Total budget funding for Queensland Health grows by $8.5 billion over the forward estimates). $777.3M in 2022-23 rising to $2.236 billion in 2025-26.
An additional $1.645 billion over five years for state-funded mental health, alcohol and other drug services under the new Better Care Together plan, supporting new beds for adolescent, young adult, adult, perinatal, eating disorder and older person services, new crisis response services and more than 1,000 new staff. Funded by a new mental health levy on large employers.
Queenslanders experiencing mental illness, addiction or crisis gain access to new beds, crisis services and more than 1,000 new staff, with a dedicated funding stream so the services can be sustained over time.
General Government operating, $1.645 billion over 5 years (Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Services Funding line) plus $28.5 million in separate capital funding. The biggest ever investment in mental health services in Queensland.
$943.5 million over seven years to replace ageing health facilities and staff accommodation across rural and remote Queensland, with the first tranche replacing facilities at Moranbah, Bamaga, Normanton, Pormpuraaw, Tara and Cow Bay.
Rural and remote communities get replacement hospitals and health facilities and better accommodation for health staff.
General Government capital, $943.5 million over 7 years from the Sustaining Capital Program. BP4 does not separately disclose a 2022-23 budget-year figure for this measure, so the budget-year amount is recorded as null.
$333.7 million over 10 years for a new single Standing Offer Arrangement with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to provide aeromedical evacuations throughout regional Queensland, plus $60.3 million towards Brisbane Airport Corporation's new aeromedical infrastructure hub.
Regional and remote Queenslanders are guaranteed continued access to Royal Flying Doctor Service aeromedical care through a secure 10-year funding deal.
General Government operating, $333.7 million over 10 years. $25.201 million is the 2022-23 expense line for the new RFDS Standing Offer Arrangement.
Forward estimates
Year-by-year allocations for 4 measures with published forward profiles.
| Measure | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital Capacity Expansion Program | $85.3M | $991.7M | $1.606B | $3.025B | $5.71B |
| Health and Ambulance Operational Growth Funding | $777.3M | $1.771B | $1.999B | $2.236B | $6.78B |
| Better Care Together: Mental Health Services | $119.9M | $301.4M | $397.6M | $407.7M | $1.23B |
| Royal Flying Doctor Service 10-Year Agreement | $25.2M | $28.2M | $31.8M | $32.7M | $117.9M |
| Total | $1.01B | $3.09B | $4.03B | $5.70B | $13.84B |
Performance metrics
Service standards from the Service Delivery Statement. Targets and actuals as published.
| Metric | Prior target | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
| Percentage of elective surgery patients treated within clinically recommended times - Category 1 (30 days) | >98% | 92.5% | >98% |
| Average cost per weighted activity unit for Activity Based Funding facilities | $5,109 | $5,404 | $5,155 |
| Percentage of specialist outpatients seen within clinically recommended times - Category 1 (30 days) | 83% | 80.4% | 83% |
| Percentage of emergency department attendances who depart within 4 hours of their arrival in the department | >80% | 69.1% | >80% |
| Percentage of patients transferred off stretcher within 30 minutes | 90% | 63.3% | 90% |
| Rate of community mental health follow up within 1-7 days following discharge from an acute mental health inpatient unit - Non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander | >65% | 60.4% | >65% |
| Percentage of the population receiving clinical mental health care | >2.1% | 2.1% | >2.1% |
Source: Service Delivery Statement. Prior target and actual are for 2024-25; target is for 2025-26.
Source document
Service Delivery Statement — Queensland Health (PDF)Last updated: 2026-06-21. Factual information from published budget documents.