Qld satellite hospital naming confuses some patients

Queensland’s new satellite hospitals could be putting lives at risk, with hundreds of serious patients turning up to their limited facilities.

Hayden Johnsonstate political editor

2 min read

November 16, 2023 - 12:00AM

QLD Politics

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Hundreds of patients needing lifesaving medical treatment within minutes have been wrongly turning up to the state government’s satellite hospitals – fuelling fears that labelling the medical centres “hospitals” could be putting people at risk.

New figures obtained by The Courier-Mail reveal 356 category-one and two patients – those most serious – have turned up to the three satellite hospitals since the first opened in July.

Category-one patients have “immediately life-threatening” conditions and are required to be treated within two minutes, while category-two patients must be seen within 10 minutes for their “imminently life-threatening” condition.

While the figures pale in comparison to the number of patients diverted from emergency departments through the new facilities, it is expected to reignite concerns – including by senior Queensland Health staff – that calling them “hospitals” would create confusion.

There is no emergency department beds in the satellite hospitals, which are predominantly staffed by nurses.

The facilities instead provide walk-in, urgent care for illnesses and injuries “not anticipated to be life-threatening in nature” such as fractures, minor burns and minor head injuries – diverting non-urgent cases away from stretched emergency departments.

A senior Queensland Health director was last year caught on tape telling a staff meeting that she had lobbied the government not to use the term “hospital” on the seven new medical sites being built across the southeast.

She said the facilities were not hospitals, and so should not be called that – a concern echoed by the LNP.

Redlands satellite hospital

But Queensland Health said only a very small proportion of people needing lifesaving treatment were now turning up to the wrong place.

“Patients who require emergency care should present to their closest emergency department for treatment,” a spokeswoman said.

“If a patient presents to a satellite hospital with a critical condition, they will receive the initial care necessary to stabilise their condition.

“Once stabilised, the Queensland Ambulance Service may be called to transport the patient to the most suitable location for further care.”

Three of seven satellite hospitals have opened since July, and the fourth at Tugun on the Gold Coast opened on Wednesday.

Caboolture satellite hospital has received 5000 presentations since opening in July.

Ripley and Redlands, which both opened in late August, have seen almost 4500 and 5000 presentations respectively.

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Maria Boulton acknowledged while the “hospital” name may be confusing, the services inside were more important.

“We would like more education for the community on what services are available at each of these new facilities.

“They don’t offer full hospital services and the community needs to understand this.

“People don’t always know if their situation needs emergency care at an emergency department or whether they can be treated in a lower acuity setting.

“That’s why we are seeing some urgent patients presenting at satellite hospitals and some non-urgent patients presenting at EDs.”