Cairns Hospital wait times grow as bed shortage affects patients

Funding to build the Cairns University Hospital upgrade has never been more critical with a staggering number of patients not being seen within clinically recommended time frames.

FUNDING to build the Cairns University Hospital upgrade has never been more critical with new data showing almost one in three patients are not being seen within clinically recommended time frames.

The Queensland Government has announced a $50m package of works for Cairns Hospital including $20.7m for critical upgrades to existing facilities and a $26.4m emergency department overhaul.

However, it has only promised $16.5m to buy land and complete a preliminary study for the Cairns University Hospital expansion – a project estimated to require another $100m to become a reality.

The university hospital’s first element, the Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre, is expected to create 30 new hospital beds.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates says Cairns Hospital staff are being worn thin. Picture: David Clark

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There should be 100 new beds online by the time the second stage has been built.

New data released by the LNP shows those beds are sorely needed – and the $26.4m emergency department upgrade cannot come quick enough.

The latest Queensland Health statistics for January-March show a 6 per cent spike on the previous quarter in the number of patients waiting longer than the clinically recommended time before they receive vital treatment.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates said the numbers could not be ignored.

“Thirty per cent of Cairns patients are stuck in emergency longer than they should be. That is the definition of substandard care,” she said.

“These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. These are kids with a broken arm at Saturday sport, or your grandparent breaking a hip.

“Cuts are being made to the frontline at a time service levels are in crisis.”

Cairns is doing worse than the state average of one-in-four patients getting late treatment.

The figures come after documents leaked in May revealed plans for a $32m hit to the Cairns and Torres Strait health service budgets.

They also follow Treasurer Cameron Dick’s two per cent “productivity dividend” announcement last year for Queensland Health, meant to save $1 billion over four years.

Ms Bates said hospital staff were being run ragged.

“As a nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how stressful it is for our frontline staff who are severely under-resourced,” she said.

Originally published as Cairns Hospital wait times grow as bed shortage affects patients