Transcript - Hospital system under pressure
Putting hospital patients into private hotels is a temporary fix to a long-term problem, AMA Queensland Vice President Dr Nick Yim has told ABC Brisbane.
Transcript: AMA Queensland Vice President, Dr Nick Yim, ABC Radio Brisbane, Breakfast with Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan, Thursday 25 May 2023
Subjects: Gold Coast hospital bed shortages
LORETTA RYAN: Did you hear the news that hospital patients are being transferred to hotels? This came out of Parliament during Question Time yesterday. The LNP presented whistleblower claims that severely injured patients were being moved from hospital beds on the Gold Coast and into hotel beds at Sea World Nara Resort.
We thought we'd go to the Australian Medical Association of Queensland. Dr Nick Yim is the Vice President. Good morning, Dr Yim. What do you think of these revelations?
DR NICK YIM: I think these revelations, whilst it's not ideal, it does really highlight the pressures that the hospital system is in. We've been hearing for many years that there are bed shortages, under-pressure doctors, nurses and we do need those beds and we've lost them.
LORETTA RYAN: So you've known this is happening?
DR NICK YIM: It's quite an innovative idea. We’ve seen this previously in the private sector for women who’ve had uncomplicated births, maybe for a bit of recovery afterwards, they do stay in hotels, but this is the first I've heard of it in a public hospital setting.
CRAIG ZONCA: Nick Yim, is it something that you said, you know, to free up beds, you can understand potentially the reasoning behind it, but do you want to see it become the norm?
DR NICK YIM: Oh, this is definitely a very, very temporary solution. I guess what we're seeing is there is no flow through the hospital. So we've got patients waiting for residential aged care. We've got patients on NDIS packages waiting for their supports. And we know that these patients being transferred, they've been cleared by doctors to be safe in hotel care. So they are waiting for stability to ensure that they can go home safely. But they still need that 24-hour nursing care.
LORETTA RYAN: Can patients say, no, they want to stay in the hospital?
DR NICK YIM: We don't know the finer details. Obviously, these revelations, we've just heard of them at AMA Queensland. So we do need to dig a little bit deeper, but obviously that's liaising with their treating team at the hospital.
LORETTA RYAN: There is after hospital care in the home isn't there, for people?
DR NICK YIM: Yeah. So these are the innovative models that we are hearing from Queensland Health. Obviously we want the sick people in hospital and once they’re stabilised they can go into hospital in the home and certainly in this instance it sounds like care-in-hotel situation.
LORETTA RYAN: So who will you be questioning now? You said you'll be finding out a little bit more. Will you be talking to the Minister directly?
DR NICK YIM: AMA Queensland has contact with people with our members on the Gold Coast and also the Health Minister. So we’ll be liaising with them on what the strategies are moving forward.
LORETTA RYAN: And what would you be advising?
DR NICK YIM: I think the key thing is, this highlights the challenges that we face. Currently there are bed shortages. We have workforce issues with doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals and obviously we need them now, but we need a strategy moving forward to keep our community safe.
LORETTA RYAN: You might say that someone is okay to be moved, but you never know what complication might occur. So putting someone with a fractured pelvis or whatever in a resort bed would not have been the right choice, would it?
DR NICK YIM: It’s really hard to comment on that case. But obviously all these patients are reviewed by the doctors, the treating team, and we have faith in our doctors to ensure that those patients are safe for transfer.
CRAIG ZONCA: Well, Dr Yim, be interesting to see what comes of this. As mentioned, it was presented into Parliament during Question Time yesterday by the LNP coming from a whistleblower that this was occurring here in Queensland. Is it appropriate care? You say if it's freeing up hospital beds, it certainly could be a model if it works and achieves that, but not a long term solution by any stretch. Thanks for your time this morning.
DR NICK YIM: Much appreciated. Have a great day.
CRAIG ZONCA: Dr Nick Yim, who's the Vice President of the Australian Medical Association Queensland.
