Remember When: Tweed Hospital’s patient crisis during 1984 doctor’s strike against Wran Gov

THERE were fears the Gold Coast Hospital would have a “serious patient crisis” on its hands unless 40 surgeons ended a strike at Tweed Heads.

Flashback: Tweed hospital crisis

Gold Coast Bulletin, Monday June 22, 1984

THERE were fears the Gold Coast Hospital would have a “serious patient crisis” on its hands unless 40 surgeons ended a strike at Tweed Heads.

The 40 visiting surgeons went on strike a week earlier during a statewide protest at tough legislation against surgeons by the NSW Wran Government.

Hospital medical superintendent, Dr Graham Thompson said at least 90 per cent of the facility’s 330 beds were already occupied.

The fear expressed by medical industry insiders was that if the strike did not end, there would be increased pressure on the Gold Coast Hospital to help out and take on extra patients.

Dr Thompson said his administration was monitoring the NSW crisis closely because of their concerns about the impact on Gold Coast patient care.

Gold Coast Bulletin 1984, June 22. Front page.

“If sudden demands are put upon us for accommodation we could be in big trouble,” he said.

He added that resources were already stretched to the limit, with a waiting list of up to 36 weeks for routine orthopedic surgery.

Tweed Heads District Hospital chief executive Alan Millard said emergency patients who would normally have gone to his facility for surgery would instead go to Southport.

Despite the situation, the hospital had retained an emergency skeleton staff of doctors.

The doctors declared they would remain on strike until the Wran Government withdrew its legislation banning them from public hospitals for seven years if they resigned.