Man seriously injured after being struck by race vehicle at Finke forced to wait 3 hours for hospital bed

A man in his 50s who was left in a serious condition after being struck by a race vehicle at the Finke Desert Race was forced to wait for almost three hours for a hospital bed to become available.

• Police, WorkSafe and Motorsport Australia confirm investigations into tragic Finke incident that resulted in a man’s death
• Tributes flow for Canberra grandfather Nigel Harris killed in tragic crash at Finke Desert Race

THE MAN in his 50s who was left in a serious condition after being struck by a car at the Finke Desert Race was forced to wait at the Adelaide airport for almost three hours for a hospital bed to become available.

Following the incident on Monday which left one dead and two injured, the man was transferred on Tuesday afternoon from Alice Springs Hospital to the Flinders Medical Centre to receive care.

The ABC has reported that all of Adelaide’s public hospital except for the Royal Adelaide Hospital did not have any beds available in its emergency departments on Tuesday night.

Australian Medical Association vice president Dr Chris Moy told the ABC it was a problem affecting hospitals across the country.

“Really what we need is a national reconsideration of funding of hospitals and also to maximise the ability of hospitals to firstly treat people in an appropriate way,” he said.

“But also for those who don’t need to be treated at a hospital can be transferred to appropriate other services and care if required.”

The man remains in a serious but stable condition.

Investigations are now underway following the tragic death of 60-year-old Nigel Harris, who was killed on impact when a vehicle veered off the track and into spectators at the Finke Desert Race.

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