HEALTH PLAN BASED AROUND MODEL FOR PEAK HOLIDAY PERIODS

COMMONWEALTH Games planning at Gold Coast Health is well advanced, with patients to receive written notice of planned modifications to health services in coming weeks.

While elective surgery will be unchanged at Robina Hospital and Varsity Lakes Day Hospital during the Games, Gold Coast University Hospital will focus on emergency and Category 1 (within 30 days) elective surgeries during the Games period.

Other routine surgeries including Cetgory 2 (60days) and 3 (90 days) will be rescheduled to either before or after the Games.

Gold Coast Health chief operations officer Kimberley Pierce said preparations to manage the Games’ impact on Gold Coast public health services were well advanced.

“As the designated hospital service for the Games, we’ve been involved in detailed planning with our partner agencies since 2015 and we have a medical team seconded to GOLDOC,” she said.

Essential public health services for the community – including 24/7 access to Gold Coast University Hospital and Robina Hospital emergency departments – will operate as usual during the Games.

Ms Pierce said anecdotal evidence from previous Games in Melbourne and Glasgow showed the Coast could expect to see a similar number of presentations to peak holiday periods.

“We will manage rostering of clinical staff in essential areas in line with how we’d normally roster for a busy Easter or Christmas holiday period,” she said. “As with any peak holiday period for the health service, leave or flexible work arrangements are agreed based on operational requirements.”

The main modifications to Gold Coast Health services during the Games include:

● Transferring some outpatient clinics from the Gold Coast University Hospital to Robina Hospital and Varsity Lakes Day Hospital and rescheduling nonurgent appointments.

● Temporarily relocating some community services to other Gold Coast Health locations

● Increasing all surgical activity pre and post Games to ensure elective surgery patients are seen within clinically recommended time frames

● Increasing staff in some operational areas to manage the redirection of services and increased demand.