Aged care closure impact unclear

FRASER Coast Health Service has refused to say whether it can absorb a spill from residential care facilities if some providers are forced to close their doors.

FRASER Coast Health Service has refused to answer questions as to whether it can absorb a significant spill from residential care facilities if wage increases force some aged care providers to close their doors.

Torbay Retirement Villages Ltd CEO Phillip Parry said any wage increase negotiated on behalf of employees would have to be met by the Federal Government or his facility in Hervey Bay would be forced into insolvency.

“Ninety per cent of the industry’s problems would be fixed if we could pay our staff more,” Mr Parry said. “But if the government does not fund any wage rise that may emerge, we will be forced to discharge 165 people into the public health system.”

There is already tension in the aged care sector between Queensland Health and residential care facilities as government health officials believe that acute care beds in hospital are being occupied by respite care patients whose needs would be better met in aged care residences.

Employees in the aged care industry who are governed by award pay scales were told by employers last week to appoint a bargaining agent after unions won a ruling from FWA that wage structures had to be retooled.

The Fraser Coast Health Service refused to answer written requests submitted by the Chronicle in an attempt to determine how many acute beds are occupied by patients who should be in respite care.

Questions on its capacity to absorb significant new number of respite patients into hospitals in the region also drew no response. The Health Service said funding of a federal award was a matter for the Australian Government and that aged care funding was a federal responsibility.

Originally published as Aged care closure impact unclear