Nothing to see here, says the health minister as the Sunshine State continues to be ‘ground zero’ for stranded hospital patients.
The Queensland government has denied there is anything secretive or unusual about a deal it has struck with a private hospital in Brisbane to provide 25 beds for low-acuity, longer-stay older patients to be transferred from public hospitals for the next two years.
News Ltd masthead the Courier Mail went in hard online this morning, claiming the deal was secret and a road to privatisation of the health system. It later changed its angle and headline after complaints HSD understands came from the office of health minister Tim Nicholls.
Mr Nicholls’ office confirmed to HSD that the deal existed – Metro North Hospital and Health Service has signed a $42 million deal with St Vincent’s Private Hospital at Kangaroo Point – and that there was “nothing out of the ordinary” about it.
“As part of Metro North Health’s ongoing commitment to ensuring our patients receive high-quality, timely care, we are excited to have partnered with St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Kangaroo Point,” a Metro North spokesperson told HSD.
“The two-year partnership commenced in February 2026, [and is] allowing suitable low-acuity, long-stay older public patients from Metro North Health facilities to be cared for at St Vincent’s Private Hospital … until they move into suitable accommodation in the community or in an aged care facility.
“The 25-bed collaboration aims to increase capacity in Metro North Health facilities for higher-acuity patients and provides these older patients with a better quality of life.
“Partnering with private hospitals within the procurement governance framework is a common occurrence in the public health system.
“Metro North Health has seven current contracts with private healthcare facilities, with some dating back to 2022.”
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Mr Nicholls’ office said:
“Queensland remains ground zero for stranded Australians and we continue to do the heavy lifting for the Commonwealth, including partnering with private providers across the state to help those stranded Queenslanders receive the appropriate care they need sooner.”
As of February there were believed to be 1425 stranded patients in Queensland hospitals, filling up nearly 11% of all beds.
The Crisafulli government’s 2025-26 Budget committed $581.4 million over two years to restore access to 515 beds from the private sector to maintain patient flow through emergency departments and public hospital medical wards.
Dr Nick Yim, president of the AMA Queensland said the arrangement appeared to be a “short-term solution” to the issue of bed block.
“This costs Queensland $3 million dollars a day and flows on to affect planned surgery waiting lists and outpatient waiting lists,” Dr Yim told HSD.
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AMA Queensland has advocated in the past for public-private arrangements where it was “safe and appropriate for the patient”.
“We would also like to see more integration between private and public hospitals to enable private patients to be treated in public facilities where needed and for trainee doctors to practice under private specialist supervision,” he said.
“But these must be seen as part of a suite of comprehensive measures implemented to relieve pressure alongside proper federal and state investment to improve system-wide performance in the long-term.
“We are still waiting for confirmation that an extra $2 billion agreed to by the federal government in the latest National Health Reform Agreement will be allocated to reducing bed block.”