AS pressure continues in Canberra’s public hospitals, patients are being transferred into private hospitals or aged care facilities to clear bed spaces.

It comes as Canberra Health Services are again urging people to avoid hospital if possible: “please keep the emergency department for emergencies.”

Shadow Health Minister Leanne Castley has today (July 28) said aged care is the last place the government should be putting vulnerable hospital patients.

Castley claims the Health Minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith, has provided no information about what supports are being provided to aged care homes, “which are under enormous pressure.”

“Aged care staff are not trained to look after hospital patients, it is completely inappropriate and irresponsible,” said Castley.

“We know aged care is in crisis and this is nothing more than a desperate government shifting responsibility for patients in its care, and saying they are no longer our responsibility.

“To palm them off to aged care is atrocious when this mess is all the government’s making due to their failure to properly fund and manage our health system.”

Castley also pointed out the high number of COVID-19 deaths in aged care homes.

“Aged care is the last place the government should be putting hospital patients,” Castley said.

“Most importantly, the minister must explain why the 50-bed Garran Surge Centre is not being used to treat and accomodate patients, which is what it was built for.

“The government allocated $23 million for the Surge Centre, and we are experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, meaning the Surge Centre is nothing more than a hugely expensive White Elephant.”