Gold Coast University and Robina Public Hospitals are currently housing 150 patients who, despite being medically cleared for discharge, remain in the facilities due to a lack of appropriate accommodation options. This situation is equivalent to occupying seven full hospital wards.

Alarmingly, about 42 percent of these patients, totaling 64 individuals, have become de facto permanent residents at these hospitals.

Dr. Benjamin Chen from Gold Coast University Hospital expressed concern, stating, “These individuals are medically ready to leave, yet they can’t be discharged because there’s no safe place for them to go.”

“Some patients have been here for over 400 days, through no fault of their own,” Dr. Chen added. “They experience significant distress and feel stuck in limbo.”

This issue, which is more logistical than medical in nature, is placing a heavy burden on the state’s healthcare system. It’s estimated to cost Queensland around $2.5 million each day.

The statewide issue, primarily logistical rather than medical, is placing considerable strain on the healthcare system costing Queensland an estimated $2.5 million daily.

The state government has been calling on federal authorities to increase funding for aged care and NDIS services.

“We now have 64 Gold Coasters stranded across our health service, taking up beds that could otherwise go to patients seeking more urgent care,” Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster said.

He emphasised the need for increased support, saying “if that’s supporting the delivery of more aged care beds or more NDIS places for those stranded patients, then absolutely we’re calling for that”.