Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families will be better supported on their journeys to vital healthcare appointments and admissions, thanks to a new transport service launched at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Children’s Health Queensland in partnership with the Children’s Hospital Foundation has launched the Transport to Treatment service to improve access to health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
Transport to Treatment offers a holistic solution to access challenges by removing common barriers, such as transport and parking costs, and, for families from regional, rural and remote areas, the navigation of unfamiliar environments.
The service will commence in April 2025, with airport transfers for visiting families to and from appointments and admissions at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. In coming months, the transport service will expand to assisting local families with transfers to and from the hospital.
The Children’s Hospital Foundation raised $200,000 to purchase three 12-seater minibuses for the service.
The first bus will serve families accessing care at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in South Brisbane. The remaining two buses will be launched in regional locations in the coming months to help local families access care closer to Country.
Children’s Health Queensland is working with the Children’s Hospital Foundation to expand the Transport to Treatment service across the state, focusing on priority regional and remote areas.
Children’s Health Queensland Executive Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Angela Young said the Transport to Treatment service would enhance continuity of care and improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
“A lack of easily accessible transport or failed travel arrangements, and the uncertainty of travelling to Brisbane from regional and remote areas can lead to missed or delayed appointments, surgeries, and other treatments, which can worsen existing health conditions.
“By offering transportation that acknowledges and respects cultural needs, the Transport to Treatment service will make it easier and more comfortable for families to access the care they need,” Ms Young said.
The Transport to Treatment buses will be easily recognisable for families as they are adorned with the artwork ‘Returning from visit’ by Casey Coolwell-Fisher, a Quandamooka woman of the Nunukal people from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
The artwork was originally commissioned as a large mural in the Queensland Children’s Hospital, representing the experience of children and families returning home after a visit to the hospital. Featuring the artwork on the Transport to Treatment minibuses extends the culturally safe and welcoming environment created within the Queensland Children’s Hospital to a patient and family’s journey to and from care.