Queensland Nurses’ Union secretary Beth Mohle says the Lady Cilento is in the process of recruiting more staff. Picture: Liam Kidston Source: News Limited
Danielle Fink with twin daughters Emily and Chloe, 3. Picture: Glenn Barnes Source: News Limited
NURSING shortages are causing surgery delays at Brisbane’s new Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital.
The issue was raised at a Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Queensland committee meeting this week.
It was also discussed at crisis talks yesterday between key staff, hospital management, union representatives and Queensland Health Director-General Ian Maynard.
“There are significant restrictions on elective surgery because of a lack of adequate nurses within theatres, on the wards and in the intensive care unit,” College of Surgeons’ Queensland chairman Bernard Whitfield said.
BABY DEATHS: Lady Cilento staff to raise safety concerns
“Because of that, they’re unable to operate at full capacity. Unless they can recruit at least 20 or 30 more nurses, the capacity constraints will continue.”
Queensland Nurses’ Union secretary Beth Mohle said the new hospital undoubtedly had transitional issues that “needed to be worked through”.
She said the issue demonstrated the vital importance of having sufficient numbers of appropriately skilled nurses.
“But we have been advised that nursing management is in the process of undertaking significant recruitment,” she said.
Danielle Fink, the mother of a three-year-old with cerebral palsy, yesterday hit out at the delays, concerned that her daughter was at risk of infection unless she received surgery soon.
Mrs Fink said her twin daughter, Emily, needed an operation to replace a feeding tube into her stomach that was leaking, and to remove enlarged tonsils. She said both procedures needed to be done under the same anaesthetic because of the risks to her daughter during surgery, but she had been unable to get any idea about when the operation was likely, despite repeated calls and emails to the hospital.
“The problem is, dozens or more surgeries have been put on hold due to the hospital move, and no surgery lists are being issued to let people know when their surgeries will be performed,” she said. “The administration is in chaos, apparently. It could be a few weeks away, or a few months, we have no idea.”
Mrs Fink said her daughter’s tonsils were causing breathing problems and she had trouble sleeping.
“Emily snores and then she stops breathing, which wakes her up,” her mum said. “She’s always exhausted because she’s not sleeping properly.
“If she sleeps in with us, which she does often when she gets distressed, we don’t sleep because she snores so loudly and she’s constantly waking up.”
Mrs Fink said she was not asking for her daughter to push other needy children off the surgery list. “We just want to be told Emily will receive her surgery within a reasonable time frame,” she said.
Children’s Health Services board chairwoman Susan Johnston said the board was keen to ensure all children were treated within recommended time frames.