Hospital patients sent to luxe hotel amid ramping crisis
One Australian state has resorted to an extreme measure as its hospital crisis ramps up.
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One Australian state is putting hospital patients into a luxury hotel as it scrambles to deal with a health crisis.
South Australia’s Minister for Health Chris Picton announced an unprecedented deal between SA Health, Amplar Health Home Hospital and the Pullman Adelaide — a five-star hotel in Adelaide’s CBD on Hindmarsh Square.
An entire floor of the plush hotel has been dedicated to 80 low maintenance patients who would otherwise be occupying much-needed beds in metro hospitals.
It came in response to bed shortages and ambulance ramping issues across South Australia, primarily because of older patients being ready for discharge but having to wait in hospital for days or weeks for a spot to open up in an aged care facility.
While Mr Picton has not revealed the cost of putting up patients in the Pullman, he indicated it was cheaper than housing patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
However, a peak medical body has slammed the move as a bandaid solution to a larger problem in the state.
Dr John Williams, President of the South Australian arm of the Australian Medical Association, said in a statement “this is not a long-term solution to our health crisis”.
“At the federal level we need increased investment in aged care, to reduce wait times for federal aged care beds.”
The state’s health minister said in February there was a “staggering” amount of older patients — 253 — “stuck” in hospital waiting for a placement in an aged care home.
“We’re looking at every opportunity to safely expand our bed capacity, reduce pressure on our EDs and provide patients with access to high-quality care,” Mr Picton said when he announced the change.
A similar model is already underway in Queensland to help free up beds.
The initiative has already seen 55 patients discharged from the Pullman in the last two months the initiative has been running.
Ashleigh Mann is one of the patients currently living in the luxe hotel after falling down and fracturing her femur and being unable to return home due to stairs there.
The 46-year-old 9 NEWS she has been at the Pullman for the past month. The alternative would have been occupying a bed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
“They come and bring my coffee in the morning, they know exactly what I want,” Ms Pullman said.
Figures show that South Australia’s ambulances were stuck in hospital car parks for 3700 hours in April. Although this was down from March, which came in at 4134 hours, the Australian Medical Association said it was still far from ideal.
“The past 12 months were marked by record ambulance ramping and a code yellow which shut down essential planned surgery for weeks on end,” Williams said in February.
“January’s ramping figures suggest the bed block problem is not getting better.”
News.com.au contacted the health minister for additional comment.
Originally published as Hospital patients sent to luxe hotel amid ramping crisis
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