Satellite hospital name change to protect patients

Transcript: AMA Queensland President, Dr Nick Yim, ABC Radio Brisbane, Drive with Ellen fanning, Tuesday 19 November 2024

Subject: Satellite Hospitals

ELLEN FANNING: Now, you might remember the previous Labor Government launched so-called satellite hospitals, and they were set up to offer in-person and virtual care for minor injuries and illnesses, as well as some forms of urgent care. Since then, it's created some confusion and concern that people were turning up at these places when really, they should have been going to the emergency department of their local hospital. So maybe a hint as to where it all started going wrong is in the name – satellite hospitals. Today we learned that there are plans for a rebrand of the seven facilities. Here's the Health Minister, Tim Nicholls, talking about why.

TIM NICHOLLS: Well, it's important because we were informed that many people were concerned that people were coming to satellite hospitals. And as good as they are, and they are good, they were the inappropriate place for them to come when they needed to go to an emergency department. So by renaming those satellite hospitals, we are again fulfilling our promise that we made to the people of Queensland in the lead up to the election.

ELLEN FANNING: That's the Health Minister, Tim Nicholls. The Australian Medical Association of Queensland has long been concerned about the use of the term hospital for these facilities. Dr Nick Yim is the President of the Queensland chapter. Nick, your response to this decision by Tim Nicholls?

DR NICK YIM: Good afternoon. We definitely do support the decision for the name changing. As you alluded to, unfortunately over the period there was some confusion with regards to satellite hospitals. We were having patients present to these facilities where there should have been at the emergency department. There has been education, there has been changes that are in place, but we welcome this change and we'll be working with the Minister and Queensland Health moving forward.

ELLEN FANNING: So can you give me some examples of where the confusion lay?

DR NICK YIM: There's many reasons. Currently as we are all aware, there's multiple different facilities. There's satellite hospitals, there's nurse-led walk-in clinics, there's urgent care clinics and they are all staffed slightly differently. Some of them have different staffing. So that's the reason why we do need education and to ensure that people who have heart attacks, strokes - they aren't presenting to the wrong location.

ELLEN FANNING: So what is the difference between these places? Urgent care, nurse-led care and satellite hospitals? Well, first of all, what are satellite hospitals going to be called?

DR NICK YIM: That's something where we're going to be working with the current government. Historically, each location where the current satellite hospitals are, they might have different resourcing. So they have outpatients, maybe. You might have oncology clinics, cancer clinics, renal dialysis. Some of them may have a minor injury clinic, so treating burns injuries, fractures. But it can be potentially quite varied from location to location. Nurse-led walk-in clinics, they're relatively new along with urgent care clinics. Ultimately there is confusion amongst the community and that's where the education is so important.

ELLEN FANNING: And do you have concerns around the nurse-led clinics and the urgent care clinics that there's the potential to have confusion in the public about when to go to those facilities?

DR NICK YIM: Absolutely. And I think that's something where it's important to understand, I think the best person to present to is your own patient's regular GP. They have your medical history, they know you very well, and that's really important. The other thing to be aware of is currently we are in a workforce shortage. So, while it's great to have infrastructure, we also need to have the staffing. So that includes your doctors, nurses, allied health, administration. And we don't want to see the splitting of the workforce.

ELLEN FANNING: Okay. Let's have a listen to what Tim Nicholls said about how to rename these formerly satellite hospitals.

TIM NICHOLLS: And there are a number of suggested names, but we're not just going with our suggestions or the department's suggestions, I should say, but we're also going out there to ask people what they think they should be called, and so people will be free to put those submissions in. There's a 30-day period of consultation. It will end on 20 December. Then the department will consider the matters and the names that have been raised, and come up with recommendations that I'll take back to my colleagues for the renaming of these satellite health facilities so that they are accurate, that they do what they say, and that people can have confidence that when they come here, they'll get the service that they need.

ELLEN FANNING: Dr Nick Yim is on the line. He's the Australian Medical Association of Queensland President. Listening to what you're saying, Nick, you think they're a waste of time. Is that what I'm hearing? That you should just either go to the GP or go to the emergency department and don't start splitting the health dollar in this way?

DR NICK YIM: So those facilities, the infrastructure has already been built, so I think we do need to utilise them. We know that they do have outpatient departments. So they do service in areas such as renal dialysis. And I think it's something with the naming perspective. It's absolutely right, we do need to consult. And obviously we welcome the consultation, and we need to ensure that GPs are also consulted the process.

ELLEN FANNING: So if you're going to a renal outpatient centre you're in, there's no confusion. Your kidneys are shot, they give you a piece of paper and they say, “come along here and we'll put you on dialysis once every however long you have to go”. So, there's no confusion about that. But what are we talking about with these satellite hospitals? Are we talking stitches and sniffles? Is that what it's about?

DR NICK YIM: So that's the previous... It's sending patients from, say, your emergency looking at, say your burns, stitches, relatively minor injuries. And obviously sometimes they might be an avenue to service the community in those aspects.

ELLEN FANNING: So, a minor injury clinic is what we should understand they are?

DR NICK YIM: Correct. They do not have capacity to manage a stroke. Obviously if someone's acutely unwell with heart attacks, they should be presenting to the emergency department.

ELLEN FANNING: Okay, I'm hearing that. But if it's a minor injury clinic and you're saying there's an issue with workforce, there aren't enough doctors and nurses and medical professionals to go round. Then regardless of whether or not you've built them, would it be a good idea to just shut them down?

DR NICK YIM: And I think this is something where the infrastructure is there...

ELLEN FANNING: So what? We're talking about ongoing health dollars and we're talking about staffing. They're the two issues. They're the two things that we've got in short supply - buildings we have lots of.

DR NICK YIM: Absolutely. And this is something that we've communicated with the previous government that we do need to support the existing workforce. And this is something that we will work with the current government to see what the best plan is moving forward.

ELLEN FANNING: Okay. You’re being very diplomatic? But could I assume that if they'd never been built, you'd think that was probably the best outcome?

DR NICK YIM: We definitely did consult with the previous government with our concerns with these new additional infrastructure projects.

ELLEN FANNING: And you said?

DR NICK YIM: We would recommend that we did not want to split the workforce.

ELLEN FANNING: So don’t do it.

DR NICK YIM: Those are your words.

ELLEN FANNING: I think we’re getting the vibe Nick. I think we’re getting the vibe. So, the bottom line though in terms of people listening not knowing where to go - you’ve got an urgent care clinic, a nurse-led clinic and something that was formerly known as a satellite hospital, it’s a minor injury clinic if you can’t get into your GP. Is that the bottom line? Most of the time. I’m not talking about renal clinics and outpatients, it’s a minor injury clinic if you can’t get to the GP.

DR NICK YIM: My recommendation to all my patients. I am a GP. During business hours, the best thing you can do is to always contact your regular GP, and they can always give you that advice of where the best place to present.

ELLEN FANNING: And outside?

DR NICK YIM: Outside, there is a health line, and also at the same time if it is an emergency, if you’re having a heart attack, you’re having a stroke, always call Triple-Zero (000).

ELLEN FANNING: So your bottom line is, ask first unless it’s an emergency and then go straight to hospital? Ask your GP, ask the helpline before you bungle somebody bleeding in the car. Ask where you should be going unless it’s an emergency and then go straight to emergency.

DR NICK YIM: Or call 000.

ELLEN FANNING: Okay, thank you for that clarity. You’re a very diplomatic person. I wonder where we will end up, whether we will rename these satellite hospitals or if they will just slowly fade away all together. Thanks Nick.

DR NICK YIM: Thanks Ellen.

Contact: AMA Queensland Media: +61 419 735 641                    media@amaq.com.au