REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Thursday, August 6, 2009

FEARS for the safety of patients crossing Nerang Rd forced the Gold Coast Hospital to use taxis to ferry them from one side of the street to the other.

Hospital staff said the transfer situation was ”ridiculous” and called for the busy street to be closed which would also provide more carparks for workers.

In the previous 18 months, the hospital had expanded over the road as Gold Coast Surgery Centre and palliative care beds were opened to meet demand.

However, it has meant patients still under the hospital’s care are forced to cross the street to complete their treatment.

Staff were told they could not walk or wheel inpatients to the other side because of safety concerns. Each 200m trip costs the hospital about $6 and patients – many of whom could walk – were collected from the hospital entrance and driven to the day surgery centre.

Fifteen patients were transported across the street in July, making up 4.5 per cent of the total patients seen at the day surgery centre.

The Gold Coast Bulletin took the trip and was charged $6.27, which made up of a flagfall of $2.70, a $1.40 booking charge, $1.60 on the meter and a 57c service fee. The trip took no more than a minute in heavy traffic after lunch.

The Bulletin previously reported that Queensland Health was hiring limousines for longer trips between clinics.

Gold Coast Cabs CEO Martin O’Riordan said taxi drivers took great care and were offering an essential service that was cheaper than wasting Queensland Ambulance Service time.