Country patients left out in the cold

Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) has lost the use of one of its major patient accommodation facilities, Blue Gum Lodge, which provided rooms for travelling patients.

While a NSW government subsidy is available for patients who have to travel for care – $43 a night per single room or $60 per double room a night – it is not enough to cover the cost of Sydney accommodation.

But the sting in the tail for previous Blue Gum Lodge visitors is that RNSH has allegedly known for years about the impending closure but had not organised a permanent equivalent.

HammondCare (owner of Blue Gum Lodge which is on the grounds of Greenwich Hospital) general manager of health and hospitals Stewart James said HammondCare gave plenty of warning that it would re-purpose the use of Blue Gum Lodge early this year.

“About eight years ago the previous owners of Greenwich Hospital gave five years notice – ending September 2011 – that they would need to end their involvement in the accommodation service,” Mr James said.

“Soon after, about $1.8 million was returned to the Northern Sydney Local Health District and the Cancer Council which was the other partner in the arrangement.

“Following a transparent process in the past several years, we have made clear that the purpose of Blue Gum would need to change.”

This was due to major renovations occurring at Greenwich Hospital, Mr James said, and the accommodation will be used to house Greenwich patients who needed to move due to the work.

Once the renovation work was completed Mr James said Blue Gum Lodge would become a Greenwich Hospital outpatient facility or used for other services.

A RNSH spokesman said Blue Gum Lodge had provided 19 rooms daily for hospital patients and carers.

He said RNSH’s social work department was available to help with patients’ needs including finding accommodation.

He said there were subsidised accommodation options available to RNSH patients and carers, as well as another 14 hotels with “ad hoc” arrangements.

“Further options for accommodation for RNSH patients and carers is under consideration as part of a master planning exercise currently underway on the campus.

“RNSH has a number of patients who attend from regional and rural areas for cancer, spinal and burns treatment, as well as patients transferred to its intensive care and neo-natal intensive care units.”

A NSW Health spokesman said 85 per cent of people in rural NSW now received health care from within their Local Health District and that the ministry was working on a rural health plan.

He said the State government’s Isolated Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme was available for those who had to travel at least 100 kilometres one-way to access specialist medical treatment.

The scheme offers a commercial accommodation subsidy at $43 per night for a single room or $60 a night for a double or $20 per person per night for private accommodation.

There is also 19 cents a kilometre fuel allowance; transport allowances including approved air travel covering the cost of the fare less GST and taxi subsidies of between $20 and $160, depending on the length of stay at the treatment site.

However, Cancer Council NSW’s Kathy Chapman said to expect the accommodation subsidy to cover the cost of Sydney hotels was “ambitious”.

“There is still a big need for accommodation for people with cancer,” she said.

“If the (dedicated) accommodation isn’t there then people need to get access to something to cover their costs.”

Cancer Council was a partner in Blue Gum Lodge, but its involvement ceased when the lodge was purchased by HammondCare.

Ms Chapman said Cancer Council NSW advised anybody affected to call its helpline, 13 11 20.