Queensland Health
Queensland Budget 2023-24 · Palaszczuk Government
As at budget day (2023-06-13)
Key service areas
Budget initiatives
Increased accommodation and fuel subsidies under the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme to help financially vulnerable Queenslanders in regional, rural and remote areas travel to access clinical care.
Regional and remote patients who must travel long distances for medical care get larger accommodation and fuel subsidies, easing the cost of accessing specialist treatment.
General Government operating, $70.3M over 4 years and $21M per annum ongoing from 2026-27
A $2.888 billion uplift to Queensland Health's operating funding envelope over 5 years to address demand and cost pressures and fund programs to improve ambulance responsiveness, reduce ramping, ease emergency department pressure, cut surgery and specialist clinic wait times, and boost women's and mental health care.
Record health funding supports shorter waits in emergency departments and for surgery, more ambulance responsiveness and less ramping, and boosts women's health and mental health services across the state.
General Government operating, $2.888B over 5 years (Health Funding Uplift line). This uplift drives a 9.6 per cent boost to a record $24.153 billion Queensland Health operating budget.
Funding for an additional 200 Queensland Ambulance Service operatives to improve ambulance responsiveness across the state.
200 more paramedics and ambulance operatives mean faster ambulance responses and help reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments.
General Government operating, $207M over 4 years, funded from within the $2.888B Health Funding Uplift. Year-by-year split not separately disclosed.
Funding for 40 new ambulance vehicles, including stretchers, loaders and defibrillators, to support and equip frontline ambulance operatives.
40 new ambulances with modern equipment join the fleet, helping paramedics respond to emergencies more reliably.
Capital, $10.8M in 2023-24
A new, fully costed 10-year commercial agreement between Queensland Health and LifeFlight Australia for ongoing emergency medical helicopter services in rural, regional and remote Queensland, including a new 3-bay hangar at Sunshine Coast Airport.
A new 10-year agreement secures emergency rescue helicopter services for rural, regional and remote Queenslanders, ensuring fast aeromedical care when it is needed most.
General Government operating, $586.1M held centrally over 10 years. Includes a $13.8M one-off operating contribution and $18.6M grant for a new hangar. Annual split not separately disclosed.
Demolition and replacement of the existing mental health facility at Redland Hospital, more than doubling mental health capacity and freeing up land for future hospital expansion.
A new mental health facility at Redland Hospital more than doubles mental health capacity for the bayside community.
Capital, $150M over 4 years
Funding to support palliative care reform, responding to the parliamentary committee report on aged care, end-of-life and palliative care.
More funding for palliative and end-of-life care helps Queenslanders with terminal illness and their families receive better support and comfort.
General Government operating. $151.8M over 3 years plus $9.7M in 2022-23; total palliative care reform funding $171.2M over 5 years including internally met funds.
Continuation of initiatives under Making Tracks Towards Achieving Health Equity with First Nations Peoples 2021-2025, to close the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
Continued investment in First Nations health programs works towards closing the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
General Government operating, $123M over 4 years, funded from within the $2.888B Health Funding Uplift. Annual split not separately disclosed.
Continued support for maternity birthing services in regional and rural locations and strengthening of outreach obstetric and gynaecology services.
Funding keeps birthing services running in regional and rural towns and strengthens visiting obstetric services, so country families can have their babies closer to home.
General Government operating, $42M over 4 years, funded from within the $2.888B Health Funding Uplift. Annual split not separately disclosed.
A cost-of-living allowance of $5,000 per student to financially assist student nurses and midwives undertaking placements in regional, rural and remote areas.
Student nurses and midwives receive a $5,000 allowance to help cover the costs of placements in country areas, encouraging more health workers to train and stay in the regions.
General Government operating, $22M over 4 years held centrally. Annual split not separately disclosed.
Relocation incentives of up to $20,000 for eligible health workers and up to $70,000 for doctors to attract interstate and international clinical workers to Queensland's public health system, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Relocation payments of up to $70,000 for doctors and $20,000 for other health workers help attract clinical staff to Queensland, especially to rural and remote hospitals.
General Government operating. Per-recipient incentives of up to $20,000 (health workers) and $70,000 (doctors); total scheme funding not separately disclosed in BP4.
Funding across Queensland Health and Justice to respond to the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing, including expanding forensic DNA services, establishing a new Queensland forensic science agency, and supporting retrospective case and sample review.
Reforms to forensic DNA testing rebuild confidence in the system after the Commission of Inquiry, with a new forensic science agency and retrospective review of past cases so criminal matters can be resolved reliably.
General Government operating. Total package $105.3M over 5 years and $10.2M per annum ongoing across Health and Justice. The $20.9M in 2023-24 combines Health ($17.520M) and Justice ($3.422M) line items.
Additional capital funding for Queensland Health's base capital program to maintain and upgrade health facilities and equipment.
Additional capital keeps hospitals and health facilities maintained and equipped across Queensland.
Capital, $60M in 2023-24
Funding to give eligible applicants under the Queensland Artificial Limb Service the option of a prosthesis with waterproof components.
Amputees eligible under the Queensland Artificial Limb Service can now choose a waterproof prosthesis, making everyday activities like showering and swimming easier.
General Government operating, $9.3M over 4 years
Forward estimates
Year-by-year allocations for 8 measures with published forward profiles.
| Measure | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme Increase | — | $14.2M | $16.4M | $18.7M | $21M | $70.3M |
| Queensland Health Operating Funding Uplift | $325.5M | $508.7M | $521.1M | $572.9M | $959.3M | $2.89B |
| New and Replacement Ambulances | — | $10.8M | — | — | — | $10.8M |
| Redland Hospital Mental Health Facility | — | $8M | $1.8M | $60M | $80.2M | $150.0M |
| Palliative and End of Life Care Reform | — | $35.7M | $50M | $66.2M | — | $151.8M |
| Forensic DNA Commission of Inquiry Response | — | $20.9M | — | — | — | $20.9M |
| Queensland Health Base Capital Program | — | $60M | — | — | — | $60.0M |
| Waterproof Artificial Limbs | — | $2.3M | $2.3M | $2.3M | $2.3M | $9.3M |
| Total | $325.5M | $660.6M | $591.6M | $720.1M | $1.06B | $3.36B |
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 | |
| Rate of healthcare associated Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA) bloodstream (SAB) infections per 10,000 acute public hospital patient days | <2 | 0.8 | ≤1.0 |
| Percentage of elective surgery patients treated within clinically recommended times — Category 1 (30 days) | >98% | 87.5% | >98% |
| Percentage of the Queensland population who smoke daily — Persons | 10.1% | 10.4% | 10.1% |
| Vaccination rates at designated milestones for children — all children 1 year | 95% | 92.7% | 95% |
| Percentage of target population screened for bowel cancer | 39.1% | 37.5% | 42.5% |
| Percentage of public general dental care patients waiting within the recommended timeframe of 2 years | 85% | 99.7% | 85% |
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.