More patients stranded as bed-block crisis worsens
Andrew Stafford |
A patient has been stranded in a public hospital for almost three years in a state that has become “ground zero” for Australia’s bed-block crisis.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls has revealed the number of Queensland hospital patients with nowhere to go has almost tripled in four years.
“Queensland leads the nation in the number of stranded Australians in our public hospitals – we are ground zero,” he told an industry event in Brisbane on Tuesday.
More than 1400 medically fit patients were stuck in Queensland hospitals waiting for aged care or disability support according to the latest government figures, he said.
It marked a dramatic rise after state and territory health ministers revealed in February that more than 3000 people were stranded in public hospitals across the nation.
Mr Nicholls said 15 of Queensland’s long-stay patients had been waiting more than 700 days, with one stranded for over 1000.
He warned the number would only grow as the population continued to expand and age, with one in five Queenslanders set to be aged 65 and over by 2041/42 and the number of people over 85 to more than double.
Mr Nicholls said long-stay patients accounted for 11.4 per cent of Queensland’s acute hospital capacity.
The bed blockage sent repercussions throughout the health system, leading to more ambulance ramping, elective surgery delays and overstretched staff, he told the Centre for Economic Development of Australia event.
Dementia was a major driver in demand for aged care, with 54 per cent of permanent residents suffering from a form of the disease and requiring specialist care.
Mental health and behavioural challenges were also a significant source of bed blockage, Mr Nicholls said.
The crisis has hit other states and territories, with the federal budget in May allocating $1.7 billion to fund up to 5000 aged care beds a year, including up to 20 additional specialist dementia care units.
Mr Nicholls said that fell well short of current and future demands, accusing the Commonwealth of trying to palm off its responsibility for aged care funding to the states.
He said there had been a net increase of just 26 residential aged care beds in Queensland over the 2024/25 financial year.
“This is a dismal amount,” he said.
“Our estimate is we will need another 30,000 aged care facilities over the next decade,” he said.
“Funding for 5000 beds nationally is not going to meet that mark.”
AAP