The South Australian Government has announced it will accommodate 24 public hospital patients who no longer need acute care at the inner-city Adelaide Pullman Hotel while they wait for an aged care placement with services delivered by Medibank-owned Amplar Health Home Hospital.
SA Health Minister
The new Transition Care Service is the first of its kind for the state, and comes as the number of older South Australians medically ready to leave but stuck in hospital because no aged care beds are available has climbed to 253, a 158% increase in just 15 months.
The service will be at no extra cost to patients and is being rolled out over the next few weeks.
Initially the program will be for 12 months, and if successful could be expanded to additional locations.
Amplar Health already runs SA Health’s successful My Home Hospital service, which has now treated over 17,000 patients, including 2,500 aged care residents, over the past three years.
Cam Holland, Director - Primary Care & Investments, Amplar Health, is speaking at the LEADERS SUMMIT being held in Sydney next month. Don't miss out on a spot - register here.
Infinite Care has rolled out similar programs. At Klemzig, 6km north of the Adelaide CBD, with SA Health where hospital patients are given short-term placements in the aged care home under a Care Awaiting Placement Program, while the Queensland Government's Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service opened a 45-bed ‘ward’ at Infinite Care’s Edge Hill residential aged care home in Manoora, Cairns in 2023.
President AMA South Australia
SA Health Minister Chris Picton said, "Right now, there are a staggering 253 older South Australians who are medically ready to leave hospital but are stuck there because they’re waiting for an aged care bed.
"We welcome the Albanese Government’s efforts to address this problem, after years of inaction from previous Liberal governments, but we know there’s more to do.
"That’s why the State Government is taking every possible step we can – including now using these hotel rooms for people stuck in hospital and medically cleared to leave."
Dr John Williams, the President of the Australian Medical Association in South Australia (AMA SA) welcomed the new program, but said, "We hope the Health Minister’s plan to establish a Transition Care Service at the Pullman Hotel will serve as a much-needed circuit breaker", but added, "This is not a long-term solution to our health crisis."
Amplar Health's Chief Commercial Officer, Beverly Smith, and Director, Primary Care & Investments, Cameron Holland will both be appearing at the 2025 LEADERS SUMMIT, 18-19 March in Sydney. Register here.