McCarthy House, a historic building at Warwick Hospital built in the 1930s, has been demolished following an independent engineering report that deemed it unsafe for occupancy.
Previously used as nursing quarters and office space, the decision to remove the building was made by Darling Downs Health after careful consideration of its condition.
Health Service chief executive Annette Scott PSM said it was determined that it wasn’t viable for the Health Service to repair McCarthy House and that demolition of the building was the best course of action.
“Although the Warwick Hospital campus is classified as a local heritage place, McCarthy House isn’t heritage listed,” Ms Scott said.
To preserve the building’s history, key elements of McCarthy House will be recovered and displayed at Warwick Hospital.
“McCarthy House holds a lot of history for the health service as it has served many purposes over the years,“ Ms Scott said.
“It’s fantastic that the works contractor will salvage some of the internal timbers and reusable items ensuring the history of McCarthy House will live on for decades to come.“
Additionally, the McCarthy House sign and other plaques have been recovered and will be given to the Warwick Hospital Director of Nursing for display within the hospital.
Board chair Dr Dennis Campbell said that although the demolition of McCarthy House was unfortunate, ensuring access to safe and contemporary staff accommodation was paramount.
“Providing contemporary staff accommodation options at Darling Downs Health’s rural sites is a top priority for the organisation as it continues to explore additional ways to attract skilled and experienced healthcare workers.” Dr Campbell said.
“We have a combination of onsite options as well as leased facilities in Warwick. Staff who are on-call for medical emergencies need access to accommodation that is near the hospital as not all our staff live in town.
The board, in collaboration with the executive team, will continue to evaluate the best use of the site moving forward, ensuring that the space formerly occupied by McCarthy House will be utilised effectively to support the needs of the hospital and its staff.
