[3][4] The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital is located in the broader the Herston Health Precinct, which includes other facilities such as the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS).

The main building of the Bowen Hospital as it was initially known, was designed by Charles Tiffin and others.

Concerns were dismissed by Queensland Health after air and surface swabs carried out found lead levels were safely below recommended standards.

[8] In February 2008, the hospital was hit with an outbreak of an antibiotic resistant bug, Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus or VRE.

The hospital closed two 30-bed wards to new admissions in early December after 21 patients tested positive to VRE, while staff contained spread of the bacteria.