A spinal injury patient has waited six weeks to receive a bed at Queensland's only dedicated spinal unit, compromising his recovery and leaving him in mental and physical "limbo".
When Shaun Podbury suffered severe ruptures to his spine in a paragliding accident, he was airlifted directly to Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH).
He received immediate surgery upon arrival at the hospital's orthopaedic unit.
But it was six weeks before he gained access to a bed in the Spinal Injuries Unit to begin his rehabilitation and recovery.
"You're not getting anything that relates to your rehab, so your rehab was delayed," he said.
"And every piece of research regarding rehab from spinal injuries says the earlier you start, the more likelihood there is of getting significant gains."
Mr Podbury told ABC Radio Brisbane it felt like he was in a system that was not fit for purpose.
"You spend that six weeks in limbo, and it's not just physical limbo, it's the mental limbo," he said.
"You have no idea when you're going to get a bed, you've just had a traumatic injury that's life-changing, so you're trying to deal with that mentally as well.
"And you're in a system that seems to not care, that leaves you to the side, and says we're getting to you when we can."
Spinal unit could be relocated
Mr Podbury said he had received "nothing but support" from spinal unit staff once becoming a patient there, but said bed shortages and worsening conditions for staff were "not acceptable".
"The staff here are amazing, [but] they work under terrible conditions; they're understaffed, underfunded," he said.
"The building is way beyond its use-by date, and yet somehow the nurses and allied staff in here continue to turn out amazing results."
It comes amid whistleblowers' revelations of horror conditions at the PAH spinal unit, with reports of patients being left naked in front of others and lying in their own faeces.
Queensland Health director-general Shaun Drummond said the department would be reviewing options to refurbish and upsize the PAH spinal unit.
"I had been around the unit, and I absolutely acknowledge that the unit needs replacement," he said.
"The evaluation is looking at whether it is appropriate or viable to relocate the services to Herston … while we potentially refurbish, redevelop the current spinal unit.
"That advice will be absolutely informed by patients, by the staff, by stakeholders."
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath announced an evaluation of Metro North and Metro South hospitals, including the "potential relocation" of the spinal injuries unit to Herston, earlier this month.
Problems will remain
Mr Podbury said the proposal to relocate the spinal unit to Herston was a "kneejerk reaction" that was not in the best interests of patients.
"Yes, the building needs to be replaced, but that's not the spinal unit. The spinal unit is the community of experts that surrounds us," he said.
"For someone to suggest that that can be moved is just ridiculous."
Mr Podbury said a relocation would make it more difficult for spinal injury patients to access necessary therapy services, and said the relocation would not resolve existing understaffing issues.
"Number one is that all of the current patients that are here need to be guaranteed that we can finish our rehab with the current staffing … the nurses and all of the allied health," he said.
"And the second part, which is really, really terrible, is that the staff here haven't even been guaranteed their jobs at the PA until this thing is put to bed, and that needs to happen."
Queensland Health's Shaun Drummond said he would be meeting with patients and stakeholders face-to-face in two separate consultations next month.
'Therapy will be completed'
Mr Drummond said he could "absolutely assure" staff that they would not lose their jobs.
"No staff member is going to be forced to relocate or lose their job with Queensland Health," he said.
But Mr Drummond said he could not guarantee that current patients would be able to complete their rehabilitation in their existing ward at the PAH.
"I can guarantee their therapy will be completed," he said.
"Whether it happens at the PA or Herston … all the support services whether it's actually in the surgical area, whether it's plastics, whether it's in therapies, will still be provided to patients.
"What we've got to do is evaluate this and then make the best decision with all the information that we have available on what is the way forward in this."
