Gold Coast health: Pressure on GCUH builds case for new hospital

Extraordinary new figures show the Gold Coast badly needs new health infrastructure, and needs it soon, writes Keith Woods.

AMID all the dramatic headlines about coronavirus, one thing was almost overlooked.

Something happened last week that should give all of us on the Gold Coast enormous confidence we can weather this storm.

The last of a Chinese tour group unlucky enough to have been struck down by the virus left Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH).

This was actually quite a significant moment. The arrival of travellers carrying the virus into northern Italy, South Korea and Iran caused major outbreaks. The Gold Coast could easily be in the same boat.

But the city dodged the bullet, and for that we must thank the good people of the University Hospital.

It was a reminder that in this hospital and its staff we have an incredible asset.

But it is an asset under increasing strain.

Ambulances lined up at the Gold Coast University Hospital raising concerns about ramping.

The amount of people turning up at the Emergency Department at GCUH continues to grow exponentially.

Just two weeks ago a record 385 patients were seen in a single day by the emergency department team.

Director of emergency medicine Dr David Green praised the work of staff on the day, saying they had done a “tremendous job”.

But everybody involved knows that such growth in numbers is not sustainable in the long term, raising the question of when new facilities will need to be built.

In 2017, former Gaven MP Dr Alex Douglas told the Bulletin: “They need to have a new hospital by 2021 at the latest. It probably should be at Coomera. It should become a major birthing unit.”

GCB site for possible Northern suburbs, Coomera, hospital. please credit CoreLogic RP Data Professional.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon agrees, saying work he is frustrated by a lack of progress on the issue.

“The minister has been dodging this question for a long time,” he told this column.

“The fact is, the Gold Coast University Hospital is over capacity. There’s no more room.

“You’ve got an emergency department that’s bursting at the seams.”

Mr Crandon said the government needed to “properly start the planning process” for a new hospital.

“Bottom line, we’re the fastest growing region in Queensland, we need a northern Gold Coast hospital, it’s as simple as that,” he said.

“What I’m saying is start the process and be open about it.

“Let people know that yes, we are moving forward, yes, we do recognise that we need it.”

State Member for Coomera, Michael Crandon, is campaigning for a new hospital in the northern Gold Coast. Picture: Jerad Williams

There may be reason to hope that there will be some movement on the issue soon.

Government sources acknowledge the enormous population growth in the northern Gold Coast means new facilities will be needed at some point.

A master planning process has been completed by the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (HHS) – the first step towards delivering new infrastructure.

“We know the Gold Coast is experiencing significant population growth, particularly the northern corridor,” Health Minister Steven Miles told this column.

“This, combined with an ageing population, a decline in people having private health insurance and a lack of bulk billing GPs means Gold Coasts hospitals are seeing more people than ever before.

“That’s why we’re planning for the future and looking at what new, upgraded and expanded infrastructure is needed on the Coast to ensure we continue to deliver world class healthcare in the future.”

The only questions are what form that infrastructure might take, how it will be funded, and most crucially, when it will be built.

Given the growing workload facing the staff at Gold Coast University Hospital, it’s to be hoped those questions are answered soon.