South Australia tackles hospital log-jam with hotel transition care service

South Australia is moving ahead with its plan to relocate up to 24 public hospital patients to a local hotel so it can free up beds for people who need them. 

The service is likely to see older residents who no longer require acute care shifted from the hospital to Pullman Adelaide to reduce the number of patients ready for discharge but ready for an aged care placement.

South Australia has the highest median wait time in the country for government-funded aged care access following Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) approval. On average, patients are waiting 235 days to be placed compared to the national average of 136 days. 

The state first announced plans to establish an outpatient site in August 2024, taking inspiration from a similar model of care in Queensland. It’s also a similar idea to the service provided by some private hospitals where maternity patients move from a hospital to a hotel to recover after giving birth.

The new Transition Care Service will be used by a variety of patients including:

• People who are medically stable but still require clinical care and other supports whilst they wait for community or aged care accommodation, rehabilitation or at-home support to become available
• Post-operative patients who don’t require acute hospital care

One floor of the Pullman Adelaide will be dedicated to patients relocated from metropolitan and peri-urban beds with up to 24 rooms on offer.

The arrangement between SA Health, Amplar Health Home Hospital Pty Ltd and Pullman Adelaide will be for an initial 12-month period, and if successful could be extended or expanded to other locations.

South Australian Health Minister Chris Picton highlighted the negative impact of bed block which has soared to new heights and severely impacted local health and aged care systems.

“We’re looking at every opportunity to safely expand our bed capacity, reduce pressure on our EDs and provide patients with access to high-quality care,” Minister Picton said.

“Right now, there are a staggering 253 older South Australians who are medically ready to leave hospital but are stuck there because they’re waiting for an aged care bed. That’s the equivalent of more than the entire Modbury Hospital taken out of the system.”

South Australia also has the highest rate of hospital patient days used by South Australians waiting for an aged care bed – 24.4 days in 2022-23, compared to the national average of 13.2 days. This is an increase of almost 35% in two years.

The state’s number of operational aged care places per capita has decreased by 23% since 2015. A lack of primary care access, rising healthcare costs and increased emergency department presentations are other compounding factors. 

Local healthcare leaders hope the move will benefit patients, with on-site medical and nursing staff providing appropriate patient care. Allied health and specialist care access will also be available. 

“This model of care has proved to be very successful in Queensland and internationally. The way health care is being delivered around the world is changing and with demand in South Australia and around Australia continuing to increase, we need to continue to look at new ways to care for our communities,” SA Health Chief Executive Dr Robyn Lawrence explained. 

“This new arrangement will provide a safe environment for the many patients we have in our hospitals who no longer require acute care.

“Patients who have finished their acute care journey will be appropriately looked after by nurses and healthcare professionals in comfort, and more hospital beds will be available for those who need them most.”

In conjunction with this announcement, the South Australian Government launched a new dashboard showing the number of patients waiting for residential aged care. 

It shows the number of patients awaiting placement in residential aged care, including those awaiting Memory Support Unit (MSU) beds. As of February 11:

• 236 patients are awaiting residential aged care placement, down from a 12-month high of 264 in December 2024
• Each week, over 200 residential care-eligible patients have been stuck in hospital since July 2024
• The number of patients waiting for a MSU bed peaked at 97 in the week of January 27, 2025, before falling to 85 patients this week
• That is more than double the number of people waiting in April 2024

While it remains unclear as to how long patients may remain in the new Transition Care Service, those involved are confident it will improve recovery outcomes. 

“If a patient no longer requires acute care in hospital, this new service is the perfect place for them to recover with support and clinical care suited to their needs,” Amplar Health CEO Robert Read said. 

“At Amplar Health, we believe there is a need for a ‘health transition’, to change the way healthcare is delivered to increase capacity in the system and look after patients where they feel most comfortable.

“This new service embodies our vision and commitment to revolutionising healthcare delivery in Australia and is a testament to the future of healthcare in Australia.”