Children’s Health Queensland will address claims later today that seriously ill children are being turned away from the new Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, Health Minister Cameron Dick says.
The Sunday Mail newspaper reported staff had been told the hospital was full and there were not enough general overnight beds to meet expected demand.
It was also reporting some children have been diverted to the Gold Coast and other Brisbane hospitals.
However, Children’s Health Queensland chief executive Fionnagh Dougan said the Lady Cilento hospital was not full.
She said there were 287 overnight beds commissioned and available.
The current occupancy was about 200 and Ms Dougan said seriously ill children were not being turned away to other hospitals.
Legacy issues continue since hospital opening, Minister says
Mr Dick said the health service would be responding today.
“I’m happy to take advice from the hospital on the situation there and anything that needs to be done,” he said.
“But on the first instance, the hospital board has to review this and look at the allegations that have been made in the [newspaper] to determine the substance of those and the chief executive will be making comment today on that matter as well.”
Mr Dick said he was concerned by the reports.
“Children’s Health Queensland will make decisions about the best operational framework for the hospital,” he said.
“I’m concerned about the hospital being rushed when it came to opening.
“There’s evidence from the initial clinical review that’s been done that the hospital was not ready to be opened – staff were not trained, services were not in place, training was not provided, and there are legacy issues now continuing.
“I’ve also commissioned a review into that whole process as well, with interstate experts to review it.
“But it’s important for us to capture those lessons to ensure when we open other hospitals in Queensland we don’t make the same mistakes as was made by the previous government when they rushed the opening of Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital.”
Mr Dick said he expected all hospitals would treat children to the best clinical advice possible.
“The hospital makes decisions about the nature of surgery to be conducted there and how that works,” he said.
“No child will not receive treatment in Queensland – that will never happen.
“Where that happens is a matter for our hospitals to make decisions on.
“But my expectations again is that all facilities will treat children in accordance with the best clinical advice.”
Mr Dick said he also was not aware of an email that allegedly said some doctors were reportedly exploring the possibility of flying some patients interstate for emergency surgeries.
“I’m not aware of anyone providing that advice – that is a statement in the newspaper,” he said.
“I’m not aware of that being proposed at all in Queensland.”
Staff shortage continues, union says
However, Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) spokeswoman Beth Mohle said she was not aware of children being turned away from the Lady Cilento hospital, but she said there had been ongoing problems at the hospital.
“There are particular increased demand on the intensive care unit – I’m not particularly aware of children being turned away,” she said.
“But where if a circumstance [arises] of the fact that there are not enough nurses to safely care for children, of course what has to happen we have to use other hospitals that have paediatric services.
“We are concerned about the fact that people should not be working excessive overtime, that there is the appropriate number of staff to safely care for people.
“But as I said before, experienced paediatric nurses just do not grow on trees, and we have to have a very detailed strategy to deal with the current shortage of staff.”