Public holiday arrangements unclear

Transcript: AMA Queensland President, Dr Maria Boulton, ABC Brisbane, Mornings with Rebecca Levingston, Monday 12 September 2022

Subjects: Memorial public holiday for the Queen

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Dr Maria Boulton is President of AMA Queensland. Dr Boulton, good morning.

DR MARIA BOULTON:   Good morning, Rebecca.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   What happens with elective surgery on the 22nd of September?

DR MARIA BOULTON:   Yeah, this is an unprecedented event and I guess it was something that happened quite quickly. And like you and a lot of people who have elective surgeries booked on that day and also outpatient appointments, we're still waiting to hear from Queensland Health as to what's going to happen - whether all those will go ahead or whether they will be postponed, bearing in mind that people who have been waiting for elective surgeries, they would already have plans with their families to look after their children or come look after them, and with their workplaces. So these people would be eagerly awaiting to hear what's going to happen.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Okay. So that's a directive that comes from Queensland Health and that hasn't been given yet? That's not clear?

DR MARIA BOULTON:   No, we haven't heard anything yet. We're hoping to hear something hopefully today because these people deserve clarity as to what's going to happen. We know that people who've been waiting on elective surgery lists have been waiting for some time, and we know that people who are waiting for elective surgeries, it's not optional. They have pain, they're waiting for hip or knee replacements, or they're waiting for cataracts to be operated on. I'm sure they would be very eager to find out what's happening.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Any idea of the number of people who could be impacted if elective surgery is postponed?

DR MARIA BOULTON:   No. I guess that would be up to Queensland Health, but this will be across Queensland, so every hospital would have an elective surgery list. A lot of private hospitals would as well as, and same with specialist outpatient appointments. For example, if you're a parent who's waiting to see a paediatrician publicly, or if you're someone who has arthritis waiting to see a rheumatologist, that would impact them as well.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Okay, so it's the same across - if it's a public holiday, public and private health institutions affected the same way?

DR MARIA BOULTON:   Yes. With the private institutions it's up to every private business as to what they do, bearing in mind that the issue is workforce. We know that a lot of people who work have children and public holidays means that childcare won't be open. It also means that people will be on penalty rates, for example, so it does affect private hospitals and also public hospitals in the same way that every small business is affected.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Yeah. Just thinking through the ripple effect in real time, it's school holidays that week so kids won't be at school, but as you say, yes, if it's childcare operations that do run through school holidays, that will prove a juggle for some people. You are listening to Dr Maria Boulton, President of AMA Queensland. Be interested to hear from you if you've had a heads-up, perhaps from a doctor or a specialist about elective surgery on the 22nd of September, Dr Boulton hoping for clarifications from Queensland Health today. What about GP clinics, Dr Boulton? Will they be closed on Thursday the 22nd?

DR MARIA BOULTON:   Every GP clinic is a small business and every GP clinic will be different. I own a GP clinic and we are open some public holidays, so we're looking at that today as to what's going to happen. But I know that there are some GP clinics in some areas who already have 150 people booked on that day. Once again, it reminds me of when we first started doing COVID vaccines and we would book hundreds of people for a COVID vaccine and then the COVID vaccines wouldn't turn up. It's a mad scramble to try and sort something out for patients so that patients don't miss out.

So, yes, it does have an effect everywhere but the issue is for patients. It's patients that I worry about. It's patients that we know that those surgery waiting lists are really long and we also know that if they miss out on that day, what's going to happen? Where are they going to be put in again? Is it going to be the next day? Is it going to be two weeks, three weeks? I don't want people to be waiting any longer than they have to.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Yeah. Okay. Well, let's just see as we get more information what the impact is, but I think they are things that perhaps people didn't immediately consider over the weekend when the public holiday was announced, but could have quite a significant effect on people. Dr Boulton, we'll keep in touch across today. Thanks so much.

DR MARIA BOULTON:   Thank you, Rebecca.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Dr Maria Boulton, President of AMA Queensland.