Stuart McPhie stung with $3200 hotel quarantine bill after mistakenly booted from Queensland for end of life visit

Seven months after a bungled end of life visit to his dying dad in the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Stuart McPhie has been issued a “heartless” $3220 bill from Queensland Health.

Two hours was all Stuart McPhie got with his father before he died of an aggressive cancer, due to a Queensland Health Covid-19 end-of-life visit bungle.

Now, seven months on, despite an apology for the stuff-up – which robbed the pair of precious time together – Stuart has been issued a “heartless” $3220 hotel quarantine bill for his stay in what he calls a “jail”.

Stuart McPhie, sister Sonya Holloway – who said her father Geoff McPhie (right) is a ‘true gentleman’.

Stuart said his father was bawling his eyes out when he gave him the devastating news that he would not be able to visit him again.

It’s brought all the pain back.

Stuart said the last moments he spent with father Geoff, of Pacific Pines, who died aged 81, were the most treasured in his life.

But having more time was torn away from him.

Geoff was hospitalised for treatment in August 2021, after suffering prostate cancer for almost 11 years.

He went downhill quickly, radiation causing a tumour on his lower back to grow, leaving him a paraplegic. He didn’t have long to live.

Insult to injury, Stuart was issued a $3220 bill, on top of the cash he spent on flights and transport despite Queensland Health’s apology.

Stuart, who owns mobile repair businesses in Sydney rushed up, ticking all the boxes with Queensland Health, to spend two hours with his father.

“I was told I could stay as long as I liked, visit him by working with the health team at hotel quarantine.”

He arrived on a Friday, seeing him at 9pm that night night.

“He was so happy,” Stuart wrote in correspondence with Queensland Health.

Of the night, he said: “We just sat there, chatted, it was really good. It’s one of the most treasured moments of my life. It was the last time he was lucid, it was the last time he was good.

The last moments Stuart spent with his father were some of the most important in his life, he said.

“I didn’t get there until 9pm, and the hospital kicked me out at 11pm. He was definitely looking forward to me coming back the next day. ”

But the next morning Queensland Health didn’t allow Stuart back.

“At 7am, I emailed the health team at the Crowne (Plaza quarantine hotel, Surfers) to organise a visit,” he said.

“They said, ‘your dad’s classification has changed, he’s not end of life anymore, he’s not dying quickly enough, you can’t go see him anymore’,” Stuart claimed.

“My father cried like I’ve never heard when told him.”

Stuart suspects his father’s reports weren’t updated, making it appear as if he was ready to go home, rather than pass away in palliative care.

Mum Julie before she passed away several years ago, Stuart and Geoff, all together as a happy family.

“I knew it was going to be the last time I ever saw him. Then I had to ring dad and tell him, ‘Sorry, you’re not dying quickly enough, I can’t come and see you anymore’.”

“He started crying, he understood, he was balling his eyes out.

Mr McPhie emailed everyone he could, including Queensland Health and Health Minister Yvette D’Ath. His dad died less than two weeks later.

Eight weeks after he said he was booted from the state and received an apology, signed by Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service CEO Ron Calvert.

The letter provided to the Bulletin reads:

Upon receiving your letter, I can confirm that a thorough investigation has been undertaken into the exemption, hotel quarantine and visitation process.

The investigation was conducted in consideration of the Queensland Border Restriction Directions at the time. In my view you should have been allowed access to visit your father therefore please accept my apologies that the decision making at the time resulted in your inability to spend precious time with your father.

The letter in full was provided to the Bulletin.

Despite the apology, Stuart has now been issued a quarantine bill from Queensland Health, with no acknowledgment of the department’s mistake.

“The biggest thing is Queensland Health and the Queensland Government have spruiked this line: ‘We’re keeping Queenslanders safe’, well I’m sorry, but you haven’t,” Stuart said.

“What you’ve done is you’ve just destroyed people. It’s so undignified the way they’ve treated me, treated my dad.

“Fancy making an 81-year-old, nearly at his last breath, making him cry because his son can’t come visit. It’s just so heartless.

“I can tell you now the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life is watch my dad die via Zoom.

Even his sister wasn’t allowed to visit him while he was stuck in quarantine, or they risked a $13,000 fine.

“I’ve got this apology, which is completely hollow because they turn around and charge me $3200 – $1600 a night to stay in this jail.

“You get to a point where you start to forget about it and they send you that (the bill) and it brings it all back again.”

A spokesman for Queensland Health said: “The loss of a life is tragic, and our thoughts go out to those who have lost loved ones.

“We understand the restrictions at the time were challenging, which is why there was a provision to act on compassionate grounds, particularly for end of life visits.”

The department is “working to investigate (the) matter and amend the invoice accordingly”, the spokesman said.

As of April 8, a total of 71,777 hotel quarantine invoices have been issued. A debt collection agency is handling 3366 ‘significantly overdue’ invoices valued at $9.6m.

Almost 19,000 people have applied for a waiver and 4287 have been approved in part or in full.