A BUSINESS case to boost the size of Redland Hospital has begun.
The state government will put $1.5 million into a preliminary business case to redevelop and expand the hospital and Health Minister Steven Miles said work would start immediately.
Capalaba MP Don Brown said the work came after the completion of a master plan that looked at what infrastructure might be needed.
He said hospital upgrade works had already started.
"This includes a project to deliver a four-bed expansion to the emergency department and an additional birthing suite with birthing pool," he said.
"We are also delivering a range of infrastructure replacement projects - such as fire systems - designed to future proof the hospital."
Bowman MP Andrew Laming said resuscitating the hospital required action rather than another study.
"It shows (that) state Labor have no idea how to fix Redland," he said. "We need an ICU with clinical expansion and that isn't costing a cent less than $30 million."
Mr Brown said a business case for a car park was also under way and was expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Mr Laming said the government needed to stop buying time and selling out local patients.
More than 30,000 additional residents are expected to call the Redlands home in the next decade, putting pressure on public infrastructure.
Mr Miles said that over the past five years, Redland Hospital had seen a 34 per cent growth in admissions and a 22 per cent increase in outpatient appointments.
"The preliminary business case will look at all options to expand our public health services and build the capacity of Redland Hospital to meet future growth.
"It will include options for additional infrastructure, additional beds and an intensive care unit."
Redlands MP Kim Richards said the government's priority was to ensure Queenslanders had access to local high quality health services.
"Since coming to office, we have employed an additional 116 nurses and midwives, 28 doctors and 21 health professionals at Redland Hospital," Ms Richards said
"...The business case will consider future service demand, as well as input from building design and clinical experts, to select a preferred option to progress to more detailed planning," she said.
The PBC is being developed by Metro South Hospital and Health Service and is expected to be completed by mid-2020.
