‘Freaking me out’: Patient sent to palliative care due to bed shortage

A sick but not dying cancer patient was transferred to a palliative care bed when there were no ward beds available, “freaking him out,” as the health system continues to struggle with demand.

Adelaide hospitals are so full a seriously ill — but not dying — cancer patient was warehoused in a palliative care centre, “freaking me out.”

The father of four who had an extreme reaction to chemotherapy was told due to a lack of ward beds he had the option of moving to the palliative care centre.

The incident this month was in a private hospital. SA Health is buying beds from private hospitals for public patients in a desperate bid to unclog EDs and “fix” ramping, however this is reducing room for patients with health insurance.

Private hospitals have been on ambulance diversion at various times recently as the stress on the entire system causes record ramping.

The cancer patient with private health insurance had previously sought help at one private hospital but was not admitted, then went to Calvary Adelaide where he spent the night in the ED as there were no spare ward beds.

The seriously ill cancer patient was sent to Calvary Hospital due to no spare ward beds. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

The following day, August 1, he says he was transferred to the only bed available — at Mary Potter Hospice at North Adelaide which provides palliative care for people with terminal illnesses.

“An administrator gave me the option as there were no ward beds and said that from a psychological point of view it is not great but it is a bed,” he said.

“It was freaking me out but I wanted to get out of the ED. At the end of the day it was a bed and they looked after me very well. I think I was there two nights, it was all a bit hazy.”

The man eventually was moved to a ward bed at Calvary North Adelaide, ended up needing intensive care treatment and has since been discharged — grateful to escape the palliative care bed.

Calvary regional chief executive, South Australia, Sharon Kendall said Calvary will not comment on individual patient cases, and their focus remains on delivering the highest

standard of care to all patients and supporting the broader healthcare needs of the community.

“Calvary has a longstanding relationship with SA Health, working in a collaborative partnership to enhance access to quality care across a number of our facilities and services, including hospitals, home care and virtual care,” she said.

SA Health has been buying beds and care from the private sector which increased during the May 31-August 16 code yellow internal emergency alert.

Dr Robyn Lawrence, chief executive of the Department for Health and Wellbeing. Picture Dean Martin

SA Health chief executive Dr Robyn Lawrence said measures such as “purchasing care in the private sector” are now embedded in the public health system, allowing the end of the official code yellow.

While the code yellow has been lifted, The Advertiser revealed Central Adelaide Local Health Network officials have ordered doctors to cancel some non-urgent elective surgery to free up bed space for emergency patients, infuriating clinicians.

Tweet of SA Labor saying it will fix ramping in November 2021

Private Healthcare Australia chief executive Dr Rachel David said: “If the private health system has capacity to treat patients from the public system in times of extreme demand, it makes sense for governments to pay private hospitals for this.

“The ‘purchasing of care in the private sector’ must not however impact on insured Australians’ access to private hospital care.

“Access to rapid medical treatment in a private hospital of choice is one of the main reasons people take out health insurance and value their private hospital cover.”

Originally published as ‘Freaking me out’: Patient sent to palliative care due to bed shortage