Outrage as Gold Coast Health wipes outpatient appointments due to COVID-19 pandemic

A Gold Coast mother living in chronic pain is devastated her specialist appointment has been cancelled, after waiting 18 months, and her name removed from the waiting list.

A GOLD Coast mother living in chronic pain is frustrated her specialist appointment has been cancelled after waiting 18 months, and her name removed from the waiting list, despite only a handful of coronavirus cases on the Coast.

Lauren Stevens cheated death in 2018 after surviving a burst jugular and a ministroke following routine thyroid removal surgery – she now lives with chronic inner-ear pain, deafness and imbalance issues and as a non-urgent Category 3 patient has waited 18 months for an ear, nose and throat (ENT) outpatient appointment at Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH).

But last month the Canungra mother-of-two’s appointment was cancelled by Gold Coast Health and her name removed from the waiting list, with a letter confirming the COVID-19 pandemic had caused “temporary changes to the availability of healthcare services” and it could not advise when these would return to normal.

Lauren Stevens, of Canungra, has had her ENT outpatient appointment at Gold Coast University Hospital cancelled after waiting 18 months. Picture Glenn Hampson

MORE NEWS

Mixed reaction to schools reopening for Prep, Years 1, 11 and 12

Ristorante Fellini: Owner on rumours of top venue’s demise

Petition launched to move Gold Coast homeless

Titans anti-vax duo to miss season over stance

30+ Gold Coast restaurants opening for Saturday

“Considering our hospitals aren’t overloaded with coronavirus patients I can’t see why they need to completely wipe out outpatient appointments,” Mrs Stevens said.

“There’s been no improvement and I’m currently on steroids, antibiotics, ear drops and pain killers because I have fluid ear, bulging eardrums and wax embedded into my ear drum causing deafness. I understand I’m not dying but surely they can’t make me wait another two years.”

Mrs Stevens said medication she had to take once she was home from hospital caused seizures.

Mrs Stevens said her husband had kissed her one morning on his way to work and realised she was “stone cold’’ in bed after suffering a mini-stroke in her sleep.

A letter sent to Canungra woman Lauren Stevens letter saying her outpatient appointment has been cancelled by Gold Coast Health because of coronavirus. Supplied.

“I was rushed to hospital again and spent six weeks in rehab learning how to walk and talk again. I’ve had about 14 seizures since, and my daughter found me one morning and had to ring an ambulance,” she said.

Mrs Stevens said there was no money in the family’s budget for the $5000 procedure in the private sector.

“I could put in on the credit card but I’d still need to pay it back, and private insurance is ridiculously expensive.”

Lauren Stevens lives with a debilitating inner-ear condition that causes her deafness and daily pain. Picture Glenn Hampson

The Gold Coast Health letter states Mrs Stevens is now under the care of her referring GP, who can provide the department with another referral should her condition worsen.

But Mrs Stevens said her GP told her the hospital is not accepting any referrals until they’ve cleared category 1 cases, “but he’ll refer me back to GCUH once they allow them.”

Charlene Nolan, who has a liver issue, was referred by her GP and had an outpatient appointment on March 31; this was cancelled by SMS on March 23.

It stated that due to COVID-19 she should not attend the hospital and would receive a phone consult – no one called her.

A text message sent to Charlene Nolan about her outpatient appointment Gold Coast University Hospital.

“But then I called all day to check as they hadn’t called me and they later told me it was cancelled and I’m like oh okay. Later that night my partner, my emergency contact, got a cancellation message for me.”

A Queensland Health spokesman said all health and hospital services had begun to gradually reintroduce services that were previously postponed to allow hospitals to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This includes specialist outpatient appointments, cancer screening services, elective surgery and gastrointestinal endoscopies.

“We are balancing the reintroduction of services with ensuring we continue to have access to all the PPE our staff need. Even though we’re part of a health system that’s leading the world in our public health response, we’re not immune to global supply chain issues and challenges.”

If a GP assessed a patient’s clinical condition had changed and was more of urgent Category 1 or 2, the patient could be immediately referred back into the outpatient service.

Once outpatient services resume as normal, GPs can once again make category 3 referrals based on clinical prioritisation criteria, which varies across different specialties.

Patients with any concerns about their health should visit their GP immediately

Details about outpatient wait lists are at www.qld.gov.au/health/services/hospital-care/waiting-lists