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ABC News
07-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Country dialysis patient faces choice of moving to Adelaide or stopping treatment
Move to Adelaide or stop accessing life-saving medical support. These are the options Chris Thomas, a 68-year-old Crystal Brooke resident in the mid-north of South Australia, faces. The retired farmer has been receiving treatment in the Lyell McEwin Hospital in Adelaide since May after he had two major cardiac arrests while undergoing rehabilitation following the amputation of a leg. This is in addition to him needing regular dialysis, treatment he had been receiving in Port Pirie for the past four years. Given his complex medical conditions, Mr Thomas was told he was not medically fit to be discharged from hospital or for transfer to Port Pirie. So now he and his family are facing the tough choice: move to Adelaide or effectively give up medical support. His daughter Alex Thomas was disappointed more effort hadn't been made to find alternative options for her father given he had lived in the country his whole life and didn't want to move to the city. "And that when you're vulnerable and when you reach your 11th hour of life that you're going to be able to stay within your home no matter what your postcode is." Ms Thomas has made an impassioned plea to SA Health to investigate options that would allow her father to return home and keep receiving treatment. "I want them to honour his desire to go home," she said. "I want them to cease discriminating against him because he lives in a regional area." SA Health Minister Chris Picton said his office had reached out to Mr Thomas's family, and there would be a senior medical review of his case to "see what options could be available". "We provide dialysis services right across the state, but there are obviously some levels of medical conditions that people have where they do need to be in a tertiary hospital setting," Mr Picton said. "Ultimately, in a state like South Australia, we can't provide the quaternary level of hospital care and the sub-speciality level of hospital care in each locality of everywhere across regional South Australia. Satellite dialysis units and home dialysis services are available across a number of the state's metropolitan and regional health services, but are designed to care for less complex and lower-risk patients. In a statement, SA Health extended its "sincerest sympathies to Mr Thomas and his family, who are navigating an incredibly difficult time". "Due to Mr Thomas's ongoing, high-risk medical issues, he is not medically fit for discharge from Lyell McEwin Hospital, or for transfer to Port Pirie," the statement said. "The health and wellbeing of our patients is always our priority. Ms Thomas however said that it was important to her dad, who had worked as a farmer and pastoralist as well as at Roxby Downs, that he spend the rest of his days living and receiving treatment in the bush. "It's his choice, no-one is more acutely aware of his mortality than he is," Ms Thomas said. "If he moves to Adelaide he is going to be grossly isolated from everything he has ever known. SA Health staff said at no stage had Mr Thomas or his family been advised that he should withdraw from medical care. The Port Pirie Satellite Dialysis Unit offers expert care in renal dialysis; like other satellite dialysis units, Port Pirie offers care for stable, lower-complexity patients.
ABC News
23-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Patient allegedly reached for police officer's gun in incident at Flinders Medical Centre, doctors claim
South Australia Police has launched an investigation after doctors alleged a patient attempted to grab a police officer's firearm at one of Adelaide's biggest public hospitals. The allegation is outlined in a report sent by the SA Salaried Medical Officers Association (SASMOA) to the state's work safety authority, following doctor concerns of a recent "escalation of violence" at the Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) emergency department in Adelaide's south. "One doctor stated: 'This was a near miss, critical incident, (potential) mass shooting'," SASMOA chief industrial officer, Bernadette Mulholland, wrote in the report. "The medical officer was clearly shaken." SA Health has confirmed a "vulnerable patient approached a police officer and reached towards them", but said police had "no record of any incident". SA Police told ABC News it had launched an investigation to "substantiate the accuracy of the allegation". According to Ms Mulholland, the alleged incident occurred last Friday. "The violent patient had been restrained in one cubicle and had been sleeping," she wrote in the report to SafeWork SA. "The patient woke up. "Across from this patient's cubicle another patient had police security. "The police officer who was looking after their patient was unaware that the patient in the other cubicle had awoken. Ms Mulholland wrote that after the incident, "fear ran right through the medical staff". "I attended (Flinders Medical Centre) at approx. 5.00 PM and spoke to doctors who were clearly shaken and worried and wanted a response," she wrote. In a statement to ABC News, SA Police said it had no record of the incident occurring, but an investigation was now underway. "South Australia Police will assist with any inquiries from SA Health or SafeWork SA during the investigation," a spokesperson said. SA Health said it had already investigated the incident and confirmed a "vulnerable patient" reached towards a police officer. The department said the police officer guided the patient back to their treating nurse, "who returned the patient back to their area as per standard procedure". Southern Adelaide Local Health Network CEO Kerrie Mahon told ABC News the incident was handled "as per procedure and did not require escalation, or a report, to SAPOL". "There is never any hesitation in reporting a patient or incident to police if there are safety concerns," she wrote. "We are committed to providing a safe environment for our staff and consumers." According to Ms Mulholland, police were called to respond to a different patient who attended FMC's emergency department (ED) on Wednesday. She wrote that the patient was deemed "too dangerous" for the hospital's security workers to restrain. "The staff and patients were in significant danger and there was nothing to be done but to allow the man to leave the ED for fear of physical harm to others in the ED," Ms Mulholland wrote. "The police were called and the patient was restrained by STAR (Special Tasks and Rescue) Force officers and returned to the ED." SA Police said it provided assistance at hospitals across the state when SA Health staff determined that additional training or resources were necessary to manage a situation. "For this particular incident, SA Police would need more details to accurately identify and report on it," a spokesperson said. Ms Mulholland said following the incidents, one doctor asked for a stabbing vest for protection against "highly aggressive patients". She said over the past few weeks, several patients had threatened doctors and caused property damage in the emergency department. She said one patient "headbutted" one of the emergency department's airlock doors, smashing the glass, while another used a wet floor sign to smash a nurse's station window. "[Doctors] believe we are only days, if not weeks away, from a significant incident," she told ABC News. "I have not seen this level of violence before at the Flinders Medical Centre. "It has reached the tipping point now where we actually need to do something about violence in our emergency departments because of long wait stays of many different types of patients, including mental health patients." In a statement, SafeWork SA confirmed it received a report from Ms Mulholland on Monday outlining allegations of potential work, health and safety breaches at FMC. "SafeWork SA will now review the report to determine whether the alleged contraventions are substantiated," a spokesperson said. "Appropriate actions will be considered based on the findings." Ms Mulholland said some of the violence was prompted by mental health patients, including people under the influence of methamphetamines, waiting up to 60 hours in the FMC emergency department for a bed. ABC News has asked SA Health to respond to SASMOA's allegations of work, health and safety breaches, mental health patient wait times, and concerns about drug-induced violence, but has yet to receive a response. SASMOA and the state government are currently negotiating on a new enterprise bargaining agreement, with the union threatening to strike over the government's pay offer.
ABC News
20-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
South Australian government to allow GPs to diagnose ADHD
Some general practitioners in South Australia will from next year be able to diagnose patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in a move the state government says will cut wait times and costs for those seeking a diagnosis. Currently, adults in South Australia seeking an ADHD diagnosis must be assessed by a psychiatrist, while children must see a paediatrician. The state government argues the existing regulations have made it "extremely difficult" to get an ADHD diagnosis due to long wait times and high costs to see a specialist. Rule changes announced by the government on Friday will allow specially trained GPs to diagnose the disorder. It will also allow GPs to prescribe ADHD medication without having to provide evidence to SA Health of a diagnosis from a psychiatrist or paediatrician. The reforms will come into effect in 2026. Health Minister Chris Picton said some patients have spent more than $2,000 for a diagnosis. "That's a huge expense for South Australians and it means that people are missing out on important healthcare that can make a difference for them," he said. Mr Picton also argued the reforms would free up "significant capacity" for psychiatrists and paediatricians to undertake other mental health work. "We know that there's significant need in the community for a whole range of other afflictions people have," he said. The reforms follow a similar move by New South Wales earlier this year. The Western Australian government has also committed to the reform. Specialist training for GPs who want to be involved in ADHD diagnoses will be made available from next year. This is on top of online training modules that are already available through the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). RACGP chair Siân Goodson said not all GPs will take up the additional training. But she added that many GPs already have experience dealing with ADHD patients. "GPs are often co-managing these patients already, so we often prescribe once we've got the diagnosis is confirmed," she said. "So, we're already getting experience in managing medication and managing these people." Dr Goodson, who is also a GP in Adelaide's northern suburbs, said patients are regularly reporting ADHD symptoms to their doctor. She said early ADHD diagnosis was "really important" for children. "We see people waiting a long time for that diagnosis falling behind at school and the outcomes are less good," she said. "But also for adults, sometimes they've struggled for a long time, they've lost their job or they're not functioning at home. Mother Vaia Allen said she spent around $3,000 on getting an ADHD diagnosis for her 12-year-old daughter Pippa. The cost, Ms Allen said, did not include ongoing medication and regular GP appointments. She also needed to travel from Victoria to South Australia. Ms Allen said her daughter has been on ADHD medication for around four months and it has greatly helped her learning in school. "When we got Pip on ADHD medication, it was so helpful … in her classroom for her teacher, the students around her, and obviously for herself," she said. "It's really obvious to me that the education outcomes are so important in terms of their focus and changing their life trajectory. "She can sit there, listen and understand now." Deborah McLean, president of the South Australian Psychologists Association (SAPA), welcomed the state government's rule changes. She also expressed confidence that the training offered to GPs will be sufficient to correctly diagnose ADHD. But she cautioned that some ADHD patients will still need access to "holistic diagnosis assessment and then treatment" for concurrent conditions like depression and anxiety. "It means that we may only be treating part of the problem. "I think for a lot of people, though, this is a really positive step forward and a way to be able to access the essential services they need." The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) SA Branch also welcomed the rule changes. But the college cautioned that the government "must prioritise patient safety and quality outcomes through greater training and support for doctors treating ADHD". RANZCP SA chair Patrick Clarke, a North Adelaide psychiatrist, said he currently treats around 150 ADHD patients. "That's all I can manage, and I can't take on any more," Dr Clarke said in a statement. "So, we're glad to see the SA government doing more to expand access to ADHD care in the state for people who are missing out on help. "Giving trainee specialists more ADHD exposure will greatly increase the pool of doctors with appropriate exposure to see these patients."
ABC News
30-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
SA Police make new claims about Royston Park arrest incident
South Australian police allege a man who became unresponsive while being arrested on Thursday morning 'violently resisted' officers, as an investigation continues into the actions taken during the incident. Police attempted to arrest a 42-year-old Modbury North man on Payneham Road about 2:45am on Thursday, after saying they witnessed an "altercation" occurring between a man and a woman. Police said the man "became unresponsive" as they attempted to arrest him. He was taken to hospital where his condition has not yet been disclosed by SA Police or SA Health. Police are investigating the incident and the actions of officers at the scene. In an updated statement released on Thursday afternoon, provided to the ABC today, police alleged the man "was assaulting a female" when they intervened. "While being restrained the man violently resisted police," SA Police alleged. "After being restrained he became unresponsive and police administered first aid until SAAS (SA Ambulance Service) arrived." SA Police said its investigation into the matter will examine "all evidence", including the body-worn video of the officers involved. "The investigation and assessment of all evidence will determine the appropriateness of the actions taken by the officers," the statement said. Police said earlier on Thursday that no-one was shot and no taser was used. The incident prompted the closure of Payneham Road between Lambert Road and Lower Portrush Road on Thursday morning. The roads have since reopened.
ABC News
13-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
SA Health apologises to man waiting nine days at RAH for broken leg surgery
SA Health has apologised to a Port Lincoln man left waiting for nine days for surgery on his broken leg at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Stephen Rees, a father of two toddlers, was airlifted from Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula to the RAH on May 4 after shattering bones in his lower leg and severely dislocating his ankle in a football game the day before. Central Adelaide Local Health Network's executive director of operations and performance, Rachael Kay, said the medical team had assessed his injury each day and "determined that he was clinically ready for surgery on Friday, May 9". "I would like to apologise to Mr Rees and understand this must be frustrating." Mr Rees said he had fasted each morning and sometimes all day in preparation for surgery but was bumped each time by a more urgent case. "[I'm] fed up — I just want to get home and see my family," he said. After a nine-day wait, Mr Rees was wheeled in for surgery on Tuesday morning and the operation went well. The day before, Mr Rees was told the RAH was looking into having him transferred to a private hospital for the operation, where he understood it would be paid for by the public health system. Prior to this, Mr Rees' family had been making enquiries about getting the surgery done privately despite him not having private cover just to get him home. "Other than that, my options were to sit here and wait. "I've just sort of had enough … they kept just bumping me and saying there's other more important cases than me even though I've been here for over a week." Mr Rees said his two legs bones needed to be screwed back together because they were separated. "The small bone in my leg is shattered, essentially, so they need to piece it back together and [put in] a couple of plates and a heap of screws," he said. Mr Rees said one of the nurses had advised him generally, after three days, a patient's case was escalated to improve the chances of surgery.
