Hospitals in Western Australia’s north are being put under strain by travelling retirees who require treatment as they head north for the winter, doctors say.
Thousands of southerners hit the highways in caravans and campers at this time of year in search of winter sun, earning themselves the nickname “grey nomads”.
However, doctors say many of them are heading off without adequate health checks and medication, and end up clogging up the health system in small northern towns.
Rob Whitehead is the Pilbara representative of the Rural Doctors’ Association and works as a GP in Port Hedland.
He said the annual migration north by older travellers increases demand for doctor and hospital services each winter.
“I think it’s great that people can get to see a very special part of Australia, but it does put an added strain on health services that are already over-stretched at times,” he said.
“I think making sure that your health has been checked over by your GP before you leave, is probably a really useful thing to do.”
David Cummins said he had been coming to Broome each dry season for more than a decade.
He said he and his wife Lynn made sure they are fully prepared for the trip.
“It’s fair to say a lot of people in caravan parks are of an aging category, and I’ve known people who, for different reasons, have had to go to the hospital or whatever,” he said.
“Before we come away, we make sure we have our annual check-ups, we go to our GPs and make sure everything’s done, and we fill our scripts if we need to.”
‘Grey nomads’ cause emergency department spike
The annual spike in travellers seeking treatment is highlighted in Health Department data.
Emergency department presentations at the Exmouth Hospital jump 50 per cent during the winter months, which requires an extra doctor to be employed.
Leslie Parker is the manager of the Broome Doctors’ Practice and an attendant at the surgery’s reception, putting her at the frontline of the retiree influx.
Ms Parker says the most-common problem is retirees hitting the road without getting a long enough supply of prescription medication.
“The majority are older people who’ve got the time and are travelling at their own pace, so they end up staying longer than planned in some places and they run out of their medications,” she said.
Then there are the travellers who suffer more serious health problems, such as heart attacks.
Ms Parker said people sometimes presented in very bad health and expecting immediate treatment.
“People do arrive are in a high-risk position – it could be there’s a pending heart attack,” she said.
“It often happens and it’s usually incidents because of scripts they’ve run out of, or something’s happened that was unforseen.
“There have been a number of times we’ve had to call an ambulance when people have arrived on our doorstop. It can be very scary for people.”
GP services are already stretched in towns like Broome and the urgent health needs of travellers can blow out waiting times for locals.
The Health Department is urging people to have a thorough health check before hitting the road, fill prescriptions ahead of time and ensure their medication is stored appropriately to remain effective in the warmer temperatures.