Temporary relocation guide

Impact of relocation on patients and families

Patients from regional Queensland need to move to the Brisbane area for possibly significant periods of time. This move is a requirement of being on the QLTS waiting list. Sometimes entire families move which can involve organising housing, employment transfers and new schooling or care arrangements for children. Whilst all this can be challenging, patients and families generally find ways to make it work successfully.

Patient eligibility for Centrelink support including rental allowance and carer payments, varies according to each individual situation. It is important to contact Centrelink for advice.  Some patients pay the mortgage with rental payments received by renting out their homes whilst away and waiting for the transplant, adding finance from other income sources to top up the mortgage repayment. It is a personal choice as to how families manage the temporary move to Brisbane. Patients generally don’t need to sell their main residence whilst awaiting transplantation.

PTSS subsidy is recognised as a critical component enabling patients to remain near the hospital both during the pre- and post-transplant stages. The majority of patients do return to their home regions once transplanted.

There being only one liver transplant unit in Queensland, Queensland Health and Metro South HHS has a responsibility, to ensure that post-liver transplant recipients can access any assessment and treatment at all stages of the treatment process.

De-centralisation of PTSS funding, places the responsibility for management and provision of PTSS subsidy, entirely upon each individual Regional HHS. Goodwill, sensibility and correct interpretation of PTSS Guidelines have supported the optimal management of Queensland’s regional and remote liver transplant patients, since liver transplantation commenced.

In this guide:

1. Key points
2. Referral for liver transplantation
3. Processes and help with costs
4. Step 1: Referral
5. Step 2: Assessment
6. Step 3: Case presentation
7. Step 4: Treatment pathways
8. Relocation and financial assistance
9. Brisbane accommodation information
10. Staying in Brisbane after discharge to home region
11. Long term care
12. Waiting times
13. Impact of relocation on patients and families

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