Cladding on Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital will be removed after being deemed more flammable than initially thought.

Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni and Health Minister Cameron Dick had previously assured that 24,000 square metres of cladding on the hospital was safe despite extensive tests revealing it was combustible.

Mr de Brenni on Tuesday told parliament the cladding would be taken down.

“The facade testing of the cladding from the PA Hospital confirms the preliminary findings of the taskforce,” he said.

“In accordance with the procedures established by the taskforce, a facade test was arranged and observed by taskforce representatives including Queensland Fire and Emergency personal and an independent fire engineer.

“It is clear from the facade test that the cladding should be removed.”

The state government had already begun scouring for a building firm to remove the cladding, which will take up to 18 months to complete, Mr de Brenni added.

Materials used on the hospital, which is one of the largest in Queensland, were confirmed as combustible in July amid an ongoing audit of non-conforming buildings products across the state.

Mr Dick had repeatedly said the cladding was “quite different” to Grenfell Tower in London, which was engulfed in flames in June, killing 79 people and sparking concerns about flammable building cladding worldwide.

By Sonia Kohlbacher