A floor of a luxury Adelaide hotel is being used to house hospital patients as the state’s health system struggles to deal with increased pressures.
An entire level of the Pullman Hotel has been converted into a temporary ward, accommodating 80 patients in the two months since its opening.
Health Minister Chris Picton said the initiative is “good for the patients, good for the health system and of course good for the budget”, while patients have also praised the system.
“The longer I’ve been here, it feels a bit like a family, they come and bring my coffee in the morning they know exactly what I want,” patient Ashleigh Mann said.
However, the South Australian branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) is concerned about the approach.
“It’s not a long-term solution,” AMA president Dr John Williams said.
“We really need more aged care beds.”
The AMA held a meeting to address the broader crisis, seeking “real solutions that help the clinicians on the ground.”
Ramping, where ambulances are delayed in transferring patients to emergency departments, continues to be a significant issue in South Australia.
While the 3700 hours patients spent on ramps last month was a slight decrease from March, Williams said “the dial hasn’t moved in a meaningful way, and also I think we have become used to ramping”.
The state government says it could expand its transition care plan, meaning more Adelaide hotels could soon be taking on patients.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
