QEH nurse claims ‘no fresh sheets delivered’ in latest hospital bedding shortage

Nurses have been forced to strip empty beds for sheets amid linen shortages at one of Adelaide’s biggest public hospital, a whistleblower has claimed.

A nurse has made claims of sheet shortages at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital hospital. Picture: Sarah Reed

A whistleblower at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital says the hospital’s deliveries of clean sheets have been falling short, forcing staff to strip unused beds to find fresh linen for patients.

The nurse, who wished not to be identified, said staff were told a delivery of sheets on the morning of Anzac Day was not going to arrive.

While no current patients had been affected by shortages to their knowledge, the nurse said the issue was putting additional pressure on staff as they scramble to find fresh linen.

“Lots of nurses were really concerned (on Tuesday) morning – the clinical support nurse was running around departments that were closed today to pick up sheets for other wards,” they said.

“Two weeks ago, they (the delivery company) dropped off 10 sheets to our ward instead of 20.”

SA Health denied any claims of sheet shortages, saying the hospital had an “ample supply of linen”.

“Approximately 1500 sheets were delivered to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital yesterday alone,” an SA Health spokesperson said.

But the nurse said the hospital’s “entire ground floor” had been affected by a lack of fresh sheets, particularly the palliative care and geriatric wards.

“At times, nurses have been forced to top and tail the sheets in the geriatric wards because there haven’t been enough,” they said.

A nurse has claimed that a number of wards at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital have faced shortages of fresh sheets. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“It’s incredibly frustrating, we try to work around it by stripping the sheets off empty beds but it means others aren’t able to use those empty beds until more sheets arrive.

“If there are no sheets on beds, people can’t be moved out of the emergency department … it can be a really difficult situation but we’re trying to work through it as best we can.”

Last month, Health Minister Chris Picton launched an urgent review into bedding in the state’s hospital system after a father said he was forced to drive home to find a pillow for his son during a stay at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Weeks later, the opposition claimed a 93-year-old man was denied a pillow at the QEH.

In response to both claims, Mr Picton ordered an urgent audit to assess availability of pillows and blankets in emergency departments and inpatient wards.