Central West Hospital and Health Board Chair Jane Williams said Central West HHS had performed well during 2025–2026.
Summary
Central West Hospital and Health Board Chair Jane Williams said the 2025–2026 financial year had been one of successes and challenges for the health service.
Central West Hospital and Health Board Chair Jane Williams said the 2025–2026 financial year had been one of successes and challenges for the health service.
The Central West HHS 2025–2026 annual report was tabled in Queensland Parliament on 25 September.
“Over the past year, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to improving healthcare outcomes for all members of our population,’’ she said.
“From enhancing chronic disease management and mental health support to expanding telehealth services and strengthening First Nations health initiatives, our focus has been on delivering equitable health outcomes.
“In July 2026, Central West Health proudly released its updated health service Strategic Plan 2025-2029.
“This emphasises our three strategic objectives of people, services and systems that are core to achieving our goals and seeing to fruition our vision of being a trusted, resourceful and dependable provider of quality far-reaching healthcare.
“In addition, over the past financial year, the health service undertook extensive community consultation for its 2026-2029 Consumer and Community Engagement Strategy, which is due to be completed in late 2026.
“I am also very pleased that, in partnership with the Department of Health’s First Nations Health Office, we have collaborated closely with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to develop the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workforce and Community Health Plan 2025-2028,’’ she said.
“About 8 per cent of our residents in the Central West, identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders.“
Currently, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation throughout our workforce is about 6.27 per cent and we are aiming to achieve 7 per cent and more, so we are progressing
well towards this target.
“Health equity represents a new way of working together, where community leadership, truthtelling, and shared decision-making guide how we design, deliver, and experience healthcare.’’
Other milestones achieved during 2025-2026 were:
The establishment in July 2025 of a new purpose-built facility, known as The Hub, for the Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Service, which was officially opened by Health
Minister Tim Nicholls in August last year.
The opening in May 2026 of 10 one-bedroom staff accommodation units at Longreach Hospital and a further five three-bedroom apartments at Winton Multipurpose Health
Service.
A $5.1 million project is under way to upgrade the facilities across the region, which will be completed by June 2027. This project includes replacement of air conditioning chillers at Longreach Hospital and upgrading of the water treatment plant at Winton MPHS.
Improvements to staff safety systems at Muttaburra Primary Health Centre, which were also part of the project, have already been completed.
In May 2026, two additional ceiling-mounted telehealth cameras were installed in Longreach Hospital’s operating theatre and day surgery to improve support for emergency surgeries and to support delivery of tele-chemotherapy.
High-definition telehealth cameras are now present in all our facilities, providing a critical link to service partners like Retrieval Services Queensland and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. With the help of the cameras and other telehealth links, RSQ and RFDS clinicians can provide immediate support and advice to remote clinical staff to help them manage and stabilise patients before they are flown out for ongoing care.
The safe and transparent disposal of properties is also a key priority, with processes under way for the old Windorah Primary Health Centre and old Blackall Hospital.
Ms Williams said the health service also recognised that one of the key challenges facing all rural health services was attracting and retaining staff.
“To this end, our successful work experience program continues to create homegrown opportunities for local community members and high school students to pursue a career in health,’’ she said.
“Central West Health also welcomed 21 graduate nurses and one midwifery graduate in 2025-2026, all of whom will gain hands-on experience in outback healthcare during their six-month postings across our region.
“We are also very proud that six of our doctors were able to complete their Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, which is a testament to their hard work and skills.’’
Ms Williams said in March 2026, parts of the Central West region experienced major flooding events leading to facilities being isolated.
“But we were able to respond effectively to this weather event with minimal impact to services thanks in part to recent emergency response and incident management training delivered to senior staff, and ongoing reviews of business continuity plans,’’ she said.
“Our response was greatly assisted by effective partnerships with the local disaster management groups, local government and Queensland Health’s Disaster Management Branch.’’
Ms Williams said Central West HHS had performed well during 2025–2026 with 88 per cent of all patients presenting to emergency departments in the region being seen and either admitted to hospital or leaving within four hours of presentation – including 100 per cent of all Category 1 presentations.
“This was well above the overall target of 80 per cent of all presentations to be able to depart the emergency department within four hours,’’ she said.
“Our median waiting time for treatment in our emergency departments during 2025–2026 was five minutes while our median waiting time for elective surgery was 150 days.’’
Ms Williams said as at 30 June 2026, the health service had recorded an operating surplus of about $5.79 million.
She said the operating surplus would be reinvested in capital and other projects which enhanced service capability.
“This is a good result for a small health service such as ours while facing the challenges of remoteness and isolation that we do in a vast area covering 21 per cent of Queensland, with an unwilling climate and harsh elements,’’ Ms Williams said.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff, partners, stakeholders, and the communities we serve.
“Their support and collaboration have been instrumental in delivering safe, high-quality, and effective healthcare throughout the past year.’’
The Central West Hospital and Health Service Annual Report 2025-2026 is available at State Parliament's online tabled papers website, and on the 'publications and reports' page of the Central West HHS website.