Calls for federal government to help 'stranded Australians' waiting in hospital for aged care bed.

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Queensland's health minister says the state's public hospitals are bearing the brunt of a critical shortage of nursing home beds that's costing taxpayers more than two-million dollars a day. Elderly people and dementia sufferers are among those stranded in hospital beds as they wait for a position in residential aged care.

Transcript

00:00Nellie Davis is stuck in the Bundaberg Base Hospital waiting for an aged care bed.

00:08It's heartbreaking for her husband after 60 years of marriage.

00:13Retirement's supposed to be the best time of your life. Well, it ain't ours no more.

00:17The 79-year-old has dementia and needs full-time care.

00:21They need to be looked after. They need to be cared for.

00:25But they do not need to be in hospital in acute beds.

00:29More than 1,100 Queenslanders are in hospitals waiting for placements.

00:34That is a hospital the size of the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

00:38The largest hospital in the state. Every day.

00:41The Premier says it's not only hurting families, it's making ramping and bed block worse.

00:47This is about squarely in front and centre. About aged care and disability care.

00:52And they are the responsibility of the Federal Government.

00:54Nursing home operator Andrew Ainscoe agrees the bed shortage is dire.

00:59We don't have a big enough model. On a day-by-day basis, I am triaging a triage list of critical cases.

01:07He wants to increase capacity but needs government support.

01:11We're successfully right now growing staffing. We're ready to go. But I can't grow because I can't add beds to the community.

01:20The State Government says the issue will top the agenda at the National Health Minister's meeting in Brisbane next month.

01:27George Davis fears time is running out for a safe home for his wife.

01:32I think it's about time the government wake up themselves and got in and done things.

01:36The Federal Health Minister says he's prepared to negotiate with the states on hospital funding and NDIS reforms

01:42and hopes to finalise a deal by the end of the year.

01:46See you later.

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