November 6, 2012
Darling Downs Hospital and Health Board chair Mike Horan this afternoon moved to clear up a misunderstanding which had led to union accusations he had deliberately misled the public over the planned closure of Kingaroy’s Farrhome aged care unit.
Queensland Nurses Union members protesting outside today’s Cabinet meeting in Kingaroy accused Mr Horan of telling the Toowoomba Chronicle on October 23 that State-run aged care facilities under the Board’s management in the region would remain open, just a week before the announcement that Farrhome would close in 2014.
The nurses, who joined a small group of Electrical Trades Union members and Greens candidate for Maranoa Grant Newson protesting on the footpath outside the Council offices in Kingaroy, distributed flyers reproducing the Toowoomba Chronicle article.
However Mr Horan told southburnett.com.au that when he had spoken to the Chronicle journalist he had told him “off the record” that the closure of Farrhome was under consideration and explained this was under completely different circumstances to Brisbane’s Eventide facility.
Mr Horan had asked that this not be published because it was a sensitive decision which he believed staff and residents should learn about “face-to-face” rather than in a newspaper.
He was grateful the journalist had respected his wishes because publication would have caused even greater stress. The confusion arose because the newspaper added Farrhome to the list of local aged care facilities.
The decision to close Farrhome, which was announced to patients and staff last week, continued to reverberate in Kingaroy today.
QNU organisers from Toowoomba joined local nurses to protest against the closure outside the Cabinet meeting.
Nurses Union organiser Auriel Robinson said both the union and many locals were upset by the announcement.
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Immediately following the Cabinet meeting, Health Minister Lawrence Springborg travelled to Kingaroy Hospital to join Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Dr Peter Bristow and representatives from the Board to inspect the hospital facilities and talk to staff.
Mr Springborg said there were currently 13 residents in Farrhome.
He said staff would be working with them and their families in the lead-up to the closure in 2014 to ensure their transition to a modern facility went smoothly.
Mr Springborg said they could be relocated locally as a local not-for-profit facility had spare capacity.
He also repeated there would be no job losses; all Farrhome staff would be absorbed into Queensland Health.
“It was always envisaged that people would be transitioned from Farrhome following the opening of the Wondai facility,” Mr Springborg said.
“I agree 100 per cent (with the Board) that we must ensure people are housed in the best accommodation, the safest and most modern.
Mr Springborg said it would be impossible for Farrhome to meet the new fire safety standards within a reasonable cost and timeframe.
“Everyone knew for years that this was a decision that was going to have to be made,” he said.
“The previous government buried their heads in the sand. We are being open with people.”
Dr Bristow said the Board would like to use the Farrhome building in the future to house clinical services for ambulatory patients.
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