Patient flown to Mackay as Cairns, Townsville full
FULL wards in Cairns and Townsville hospitals have forced a critically ill Mossman woman to be transferred 750km to the nearest intensive care unit in Mackay.
Cairns Base Hospital director of intensive care Drew Wenck and Townsville Health Service District CEO Mary Bonner both confirmed the wards were at capacity but said the woman received "expert medical care" on the 750km journey from Cairns Base to Mackay Base Hospital on Saturday.
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Australian Medical Association Queensland president Mason Stevenson said more than $40 million was spent each year in the state to transfer patients because of a lack of beds or vital services close to home.
"We all know that bed occupancy rates in major cities and rural hospitals is usually well in excess of 85 per cent," he said.
"While we have to acknowledge intensive care beds are very expensive to create and run on a day-to-day basis, we also have to appreciate that intensive care units need to be available to save lives every single day that may otherwise be lost."
Dr Wenck said this was the first case of a patient needing to be transferred from Cairns because of a lack of ICU beds this year.
"On average, only three to four patients a year may need to be transferred to another ICU because of a temporary lack of beds at Cairns Base Hospital’s ICU at a particular time," he said.
Ms Bonner said strong networks meant patients received the same care regardless of where they were treated.
"Hospitals in Queensland do not operate as islands," she said.
"Queensland has strong statewide networks in place which foster accountability, excellence and optimise patient care.
"If a critically ill patient requires an ICU bed, one is found for them, regardless of where and regardless of the transfer costs."
However, Dr Stevenson said transferring patients to distant hospitals caused a "gross inconvenience and inability" for families and loved ones.
The association estimates that on any given day Queensland needed an extra 500-600 beds.
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No room: Cairns Base Hospital's intensive care unit.
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