Bundaberg Hospital ED wait times remain the worst in the state

Bundaberg Hospital still has the worst ED wait times in the state with less than half the patients being treated within the clinical time frames. Authorities say a ‘spike’ in certain admissions is behind the problem.

The latest Queensland Health data showed that 47 per cent of patients presenting to the Bundaberg Hospital ED were seen within the clinically recommended timeframes in the March 2023 quarter.

Bundaberg Hospital has retained its status as the hospital with the worst emergency department wait times in the state, according to the latest hospital performance data released by Queensland Health.

The data for the March 2023 quarter shows that 53 per cent of patients presenting to the Bundaberg Hospital ED were not seen within the clinically recommended time frames.

While this is an improvement of 4 per cent from the December 2022 quarter, the gains were significantly less than other Wide Bay Hospitals.

Along with Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Maryborough Hospitals were among the four worst-performing hospitals in the state for ED wait times in December, with Atherton Hospital the only hospital in the group to come from outside Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service in that quarter.

With wait times at the Hervey Bay Hospital ED improving by 16 per cent and Maryborough Hospital by 13 per cent for the March 2023 quarter, Bundaberg Hospital sits alone among WBHHS hospitals in the list of the top 5 worst-performing hospitals.

Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman said addressing the issues at EDs in Queensland Hospitals was a “key focus”.

Patients assessed as being in Category 2 (‘imminently life-threatening’) and Category 3 (‘potentially life-threatening’) suffered the worst, with only 39 per cent of Category 2 patients at Bundaberg Hospital being seen within the clinically recommended time frame for those patients.

WBHHS explains the longer wait times for Category 2 patients as being caused by a greater number of patients from that category going to the ED for treatment in the March quarter.

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There were a total of 2036 attendances by Category 2 patients at the ED in the March quarter, up 39 per cent from the prior quarter.

“Bundaberg Hospital has seen a significant 39% increase in category 2 patients presenting to the emergency department which has had an inevitable impact on wait times,” a WBHHS spokesman said.

“We are incredibly proud of our hard working teams who continue to deliver exceptional care even during challenging circumstances.

“Despite more patients with urgent conditions coming through the door, we have still improved the number of patients seen within clinically recommended times at Bundaberg Hospital by 4 per cent when compared to the December 2022 quarter.”

Patient advocate Beryl Crosby claims, based on feedback that she “regularly” received from patients, that the increase in Category 2 attendances was due to an increase in the same patients attending multiple times in the same quarter.

Patient advocate Beryl Crosby claims that the increase in Category 2 attendances was due to an increase in the same patients attending multiple times in the same quarter.

“The patients that I’ve been talking to, a lot of them have been at that hospital multiple times,” Mrs Crosby said.

“They go in by ambulance, they get seen in emergency, they get discharged without answers or discharged too quickly at a hospital with no clear path of what’s wrong with them.

“And then they end up coming back in again – that’s where a lot of their representations are coming from.”

WBHHS has been contacted for data on multiple visits by the same patient to the ED.

In a media release on May 27, the new Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman said addressing the issues at EDs in Queensland Hospitals was a “key focus”.

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“The increase in presentations at EDs has … meant continued pressure on our ambulance service,” Ms Fentiman said.

“I have been clear that addressing the issues facing our EDs and ambulance service is key focus of mine.”

Ms Fentiman cited a number of initiatives planned to improve ED wait times including $9.78 billion for three new hospitals and 11 hospital expansions, with one of the new hospitals being the New Bundaberg Hospital targeted for completion in 2027.

A WBHHS spokesman said the new 20-bed medical ward added to Bundaberg Hospital in February 2019 and community care initiatives for reducing emergency presentations have also helped to meet the demand for care currently being borne by the Bundaberg Hospital ED.