Coordinator Jim Simpson PO Box 159 Nobby Beach 4218 Queensland
E-Mail jimsim@retireesau.org Website http://www.retireesau.org

The Queensland Department of Health is to be congratulated on the work being done to release hospital beds and to provide professional home care for patients who no longer need hospital services and are ready to go home (Transition Care) and now also help for those who need placement in a nursing home (Interim Care). Both systems are now fully in place and are being very well received (call 5570 8579 for more information or a leaflet). The undersigned received a certificate of appreciation from the Dept of Health for help in planning of both systems.

· PUBLICITY

Part of the programme is letting the community know what is now available free or at low cost and here Retirees Australia is helping to arrange talks and will be providing free space on its website www.retireesau.org which site now holds fifth place out of 4,760,000 on the list of retiree websites worldwide.

· ROBINA HOSPITAL UPGRADE

    After 3 years of intense lobbying by Retirees Australia the initial upgrade to the Robina Hospital (cost $40 million) so to make it a first class general purpose public hospital supporting the Southport hospital has been completed and expansions are now being planned. - congratulations to all involved.  Concern however has been expressed about the Queensland State Governments’ decision to build a 27,000 seat sports stadium (cost est.120 million ++) at Robina approximately 250 metres (est) from the upgraded Robina Gold Coast Hospital Those concerned hold the view that it will be almost impossible for this much needed hospital to operate as was intended during periods when the stadium is also in use and are now seeking some official answers from Government as to:- 

1. What was the reasoning behind the decision to locate a stadium practically next door to such a much needed hospital when there were so many other site possibilities ?

2. How are the ambulances expected to get through the traffic jams that can be expected when the stadium is operating ?

3. Has consideration been given to noise and other environmental factors and its effect on patients, surgeons and staff.? Maximum permitted levels already exist under State Government legislation which we now believe will not apply to the stadium because it, like the hospital is also a State Government Project.

There is little doubt that the community will demand full observance by the stadium of standard limits as problems arise 

4. Has any consideration been given to residents and commuters ?

5. What are the individual costs of the stadium and hospital and the additional hospital costs arising from what many regard as irresponsible site selection (ambulance access, noise, parking, traffic, air pollution from parking queues etc.)?

6. Some in the local community hold the view that the hospital and stadium cannot exist effectively in such close proximity and that a totally independent inquiry is now warranted even if only to recommend future policy.

We wish to make it perfectly clear that we do not object in any way to the move to have a first class stadium facility built somewhere on the Gold Coast . Our objection is its positioning in such a highly populated residential and commercial area so close to such a much needed hospital.

MORE ON THE STADIUM  - The above Robina Hospital / Stadium example makes it abundantly clear that the present National Government system of allocating big ticket tax moneys to State and Local Governments to do with as they so choose encourages waste and duplication and needs immediate surgery

We have already suggested that this problem might be eased if the allocation of big ticket health, hospitals and age care moneys was decided by a consortium comprising equal representation by all levels of government (National, State and Local) with non voting consultants and a National Government chairperson whose intervention authority was strictly limited.  No doubt other and better systems exist but we have to start somewhere and quickly. We understand that the Rudd Government has been listening and is now looking into the matter - What do you think? ?

HAVE YOUR SAY – YOU CAN MAKE IT ANONYMOUS                                             ( no one will ever know)    

THE NEW UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AT PARKLANDS This is being planned as a "better than world standard" public hospital to eventually take the place of the present Southport Public Hospital. Public consultation sessions have already been held across the Gold Coast at which the community had the opportunity of having their say in the planning generally.

STAFFING – (Doctors, Nurses, Instructors) This is a matter of concern to the planners who have agreed that now is the time to start encouraging interest in the benefits of working for us here on the Gold Coast. The problem here is that different standards of competency apply from country to country requiring a high standard of filtering at this end.  For more information including salaries and conditions phone 5519 7770 or call up websites www.health.qld.gov.au/workforus and www.goldcoasthealth.com.au   

Retirees Australia is also providing free support space on it’s own website www.retireesau.org to help with the search for more medical staff nationally and internationally

MEDICAL ADVISORY SERVICE as recommended to Government by Retirees Australia in 2003, this became fully operative for the Gold Coast on April 24 2006. It is designed as a phone advisory service that any concerned member of the community can call up at any time (24 hours a day 7 days a week) to talk to a qualified nurse about any medical matter that may be of concern to them. We have checked this system and consider it to be outstanding . Try it out for yourself   Phone 13 43 25 84 (13 health).

HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE The undersigned has been invited to serve as community representative on the Government’s Gold Coast Home and Community Care (HAAC) Nursing Advisory Group and has accepted.

WHAT NEXT – Next month we will be speaking with Government and executives of nursing homes to see what they think about ideas we have for an easier system for patient placement.  

Discussions are now also proceeding with the various authorities to try to find an arrangement that will encourage and make it easier for all aged or frail persons to have a will, an enduring power of attorney and an advance health directive - more later    

If you have any personal views on the matter that you would like to submit under the undertaking that your name will never be disclosed please Email jimsim@retireesau.org head confidential

                                  APRIL HEALTH UPDATE

Further to our February health report (see above) also expressing concern about the building of a 27,000 seat stadium so close to the newly developed Robina public hospital, that report was widely circulated to all levels of Government requesting comment. Helpful replies have now been received from the Prime Minister, his Health Minister, the Queensland Premier, her Health Minister, Gold Coast Mayor and many others. Perhaps the most detailed response about our location concerns was from the Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson, a full copy of which may be obtained by Emailing  jimsim@RetireesAu.org .  Suggestions for better health funding arrangements, as expressed above, have not yet been fully addressed. We would however like to think that our saturation to all levels of the political scene conveying our concern over some aspects of health management will have some influence on decisions reached at "all level" funding meetings now in progress - more later.

To read a letter from the Health Minister click this link
http://www.retireesau.org/marchhealth.pdf

JIM SIMPSON: RETIREES AUSTRALIA: Web www.RetireesAu.org                       Email jimsim@retireesau.org Fax 5575 2397: PO Box 159 Nobby Beach 4218 Qld.       ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   RETIREES AUSTRALIA is a totally independent, self supporting and free research and information service mainly serving the Gold Coast community and run entirely by volunteers. It draws it’s information from the community, the internet, some 40 other Government and community groups and it’s own volunteers. The results of research are passed on to Government and the community via newsletters, media releases and it’s own website www.RetireesAu.org . No guarantee can be given as to accuracy of editorial provided. Please check that for yourself. To block any or all of our emails please use jimsim@RetireesAu.org (JSlh5p)

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