Shadow Health Minister Rebecca White has raised in Parliament the inadequate treatment of a patient recovering from neck surgery.
The 59 year old man from George Town was forced to travel home from the Royal Hobart Hospital on a bus, despite notes from the neurosurgery department explicitly advising against it.
“Four days after surgery he was told there was no longer a bed available for him and he had to travel back to Launceston on a Redline Bus,” Ms White said.
“His hospital notes explicitly warned against travel on public transport.
“The surgery on the prolapsed disc in his neck meant he was advised against sitting for longer than 30 minutes at a time.
“It’s completely unacceptable that the travel arrangements provided for him directly contradicted the hospital’s own medical advice.
“This is a sign of the enormous stress the health service is under after facing a $210 million budget cut last year.
The fact that a patient who is not fully recovered is required to vacate a bed due to the pressure on the hospital is one thing, the fact this same patient is then given no other option but to travel by bus from Hobart to Launceston against medical advice suggests hospital workers are stretched to breaking point.
“Labor’s supports the Minister’s commitment to increased funding for patient transport but that fails to address the needs of patients in the system right now.
“The man in question has raised the issue with the Minister’s office and wants his story told so other people are not put in the same unfortunate position.”
Rebecca White MP Shadow Health Minister
