‘Confusing’ satellite hospitals won’t be renamed
Shannon Fentiman says renaming satellite hospitals would cost too much and be too confusing, despite data revealing critically ill patients were mistakenly showing up to the minor care facilities.
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Renaming satellite hospitals would cost too much and be more confusing Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has said, as she backed calls for a widespread education campaign.
The state government has moved to defend its seven satellite hospitals this week after new health data revealed more critically ill patients were showing up to the facilities seeking help for ailments requiring emergency care.
Ms Fentiman, speaking on ABC Radio Brisbane, said renaming satellite hospitals would “cost an enormous amount” as she ruled out picking up the LNP’s pledge to call the facilities something else.
“And I think it would cause more confusion at this point,” she said.
She said 50 private day hospitals in Queensland provided the same services as satellite hospitals, and no one was calling for those to be renamed.
The Courier-Mail this week revealed the equivalent of 17 people a day were seeking urgent care at facilities which specialise in minor injuries and illness instead of heading straight to an emergency department.
The vast majority had category 2 ailments, while a total of 24 over three months were category 1.
Category 1 and 2 ailments are defined as “imminently life-threatening” with patients meant to be seen within two and 10 minutes of arriving at hospital respectively.
The Australian Medical Association of Queensland (AMAQ) warned the term “satellite hospital” was confusing, calling again for them to be renamed.
AMAQ president Dr Nick Yim again reiterated calls for a major education drive to inform Queenslanders of where they should head — a GP clinic, urgent care clinic, satellite hospital or the emergency department — ahead of new walk-in nurse-led clinics opening in October.
Ms Fentiman said she had spoken to Dr Yim and agreed an education campaign was needed amid a growth in the types of services available across the last two years.
“I agree, and we will absolutely work with the AMA and the community to make sure Queenslanders do understand the options they have available to them,” she said.
“For the most part, 110,000 Queenslanders, they’re getting it right.
“And that is taking a huge pressure off our busy emergency departments. We’ve seen a reduction in less urgent presentations to our busy EDs.
“And that’s what we hoped that these minor injury and illness clinics at our satellite hospitals would do.”
Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union secretary Sarah Beaman also defended satellite hospitals and the soon-to-be-opened nurse led-clinics, saying they were helping “fill the void for care previously provided by GPs”.
“The QNMU supports ongoing education to ensure Queenslanders know which facility to attend in case of a life-threatening emergency,” she said.
“We and our 74,000 members commend the state and federal governments for ensuring Queenslanders have ongoing access to free quality care – at a time when many are struggling to make ends meet.”
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