Potential Closure of St Stephen's in Maryborough

St Stephen’s Hospital Maryborough has experienced ongoing viability issues for a number of years. This is due to declining patient volumes, relating to many complex issues including the limitations of types and complexity of medical and surgical care that can be provided in Maryborough.
 
After extensively exploring both sub-acute healthcare and non-healthcare related alternatives, St Stephen’s regrettably has concluded that no viable options have been identified. Therefore acute inpatient services will transition to St Stephen’s Hervey Bay towards late-2014.
 
St Stephen’s is committed to continuing acute inpatient services in Maryborough until late 2014 when the new, state-of-the art Hervey Bay campus is completed. The entire Fraser Coast community will benefit from the new hospital, offering higher level care to medical and surgical patients, increased service complexity and the introduction of new clinical specialties.
 
St Stephen’s acknowledges the closure of the hospital in Maryborough represents a significant loss to the local community. We are committed to minimising the impact by working with Maryborough patients and their families to ensure access to acute specialists and services. Specialists will continue to consult at the St Stephen’s Medical Centre in Maryborough and transport options and support strategies will be developed in consultation with patients, families, staff and volunteers to assist patients to make very good use of the new hospital in Hervey Bay.
 
We are also committed to working with our stakeholders in Maryborough and the wider Fraser Coast community on how we could best utilise the St Stephen’s Maryborough campus, with the aim of providing a health, community or social use for this historic site.