Ward move not to free up ED room

Health bosses hose down reports

A SERVICE has moved from the Toowoomba Hospital to the Baillie Henderson Hospital, but not to make room for more emergency department beds at the former according to the region’s health bosses.

Darling Downs Health and Hospital Services CEO Peter Gillies said the inpatient rehabilitation unit had moved to Baillie Henderson to help the flow of all patients at the Toowoomba Hospital.

The DDHHS also said in a statement the move was “not prompted to free up more space for the emergency department”.

The comments comes after two state MPs last week claimed at a press conference that dentistry and other services would be moved from Toowoomba Hospital to relieve the pressure on the ED.

Opposition spokeswoman for health Ros Bates and Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts suggested the move was sparked by an overflow at the ED.

“Safety is always our number-one priority and we have worked with rehabilitation patients needing less acute care to be transferred to the Baillie Henderson Hospital site where they receive the same level of treatment they would if they were on-campus at the Toowoomba Hospital,” Dr Gillies said.

“With plans for the new Toowoomba Hospital under way, it’s important that we continue to find ways to futureproof our hospitals to meet the demands of patients within our communities.”

LNP front-bencher Ms Bates said last week the DDHHS was “looking at moving dental health, dialysis etc like that out to the Baillie Henderson site so they can free up beds” while Mr Watts said it was “slowly moving over some facilities because (the ED) was bursting at the seams”.

The DDHHS was not able to confirm these reports when asked by The Chronicle.