The Government of South Australia has announced a significant expansion of its hotel health service as part of ongoing efforts to alleviate pressure on public hospitals and reduce ambulance ramping. The Transition Care Service, operated in collaboration with the Pullman Adelaide and Amplar Health Home Hospital, will increase its capacity from 24 to 48 beds starting early September.
Since its initiation on February 27 earlier this year, the Transition Care Service has been operating at the Pullman Adelaide, assisting hospital patients who no longer require acute hospital care to transition either back home or to appropriate long-term care facilities. The service has already supported over 200 patients and enabled more than 4,000 bed days to be redirected to individuals requiring acute care in South Australia’s public hospitals.
The majority of individuals who have availed of this service so far have been aged care patients, making up 37 per cent of the total users, followed by those requiring rehabilitation (32 per cent) and post-operative care (12 per cent). The Health Minister, Chris Picton, confirmed, “Our Transition Care Service has been a huge success since opening earlier this year so we’re doubling its bed capacity.”
This strategic move comes amid a challenging winter with South Australia facing its most severe early flu peak in the last six years. This has added considerable strain on hospital resources with flu-related hospitalisations hitting significant numbers compared to the previous year. The expansion of this alternative care facility aims to not only provide better-suited care environments for non-acute patients but also to free up essential space in hospitals tackling critical cases.
Additionally, escalating delays in transferring elderly patients awaiting Federal aged care beds has prompted this expansion. Currently, there are 280 older South Australians ready to be discharged but unable to leave due to the unavailability of appropriate aged care facilities.
The State Government and Amplar Health are working in unison to ensure that this transition service effectively enhances patient flow, relieving the burdens on emergency departments. Robert Read, CEO of Amplar Health, stated, “The expansion of the Transition Care Service is a strong example of how thoughtful investment in out-of-hospital models can improve patient flow and deliver better outcomes for the community.”
In line with these improvements, the State Government is on track to augment the overall healthcare system capacity. Plans are underway to add 600 new hospital beds and significantly increase the numbers of healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, and paramedics.
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