WBHHS services hits back at Crisafulli hospital claims

The Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service has hit back at the state opposition leader’s claims that hundreds of people across the Wide Bay - and thousands across the rest of the state - are waiting more than 24 hours in emergency departments.

State opposition leader David Crisafulli has hit out at hospital wait times. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“Shocking” figures released by state opposition leader David Crisafulli may not be quite so shocking, according to the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service.

Mr Crisafulli came out swinging at the weekend, with claims thousands of people across the state, and hundreds in the Wide Bay region, were waiting more than 24 hours in public hospital emergency departments before being admitted or discharged.

Mr Crisafulli said reports showed that 27 people in Gympie, 203 people in Bundaberg, 281 people in Hervey Bay and 23 people in Maryborough had waited in EDs for more than 24 hours without being moved to a ward or discharged.

“A Parliamentary Question on Notice by the Opposition shows there were 6979 stays in EDs that lasted more than an entire day from 1 June to 30 September this year,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“In June, 1986 patients waited more than 24 hours in the emergency department.

“A further 2068 patients faced the same fate in July.”

Mr Crisafulli said the statistics “laid bare the shocking extent of bed block in Queensland hospitals”.

“These numbers are a symptom of a system in crisis,” he said.

“They are a result of the Palaszczuk Government failing to plan and act for nearly eight years.

“The Premier and her Health Minister must start listening to our solutions or more Queenslanders will find themselves waiting more than a day just to find a bed in a ward.

“Queenslanders deserve so much better.”

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates put the Question on Notice to health minister Yvette D’Ath, who responded that there were myriad reasons a patient may stay in the ED.

“A patient may stay for 24 hours within the ED for a number of reasons,” Ms D’Ath said.

“This may include patients with volatile clinical status requiring repeated adjustments to treatment interventions and clinical decision making around ongoing care needs and most appropriate disposition.

“There may be other factors including the requirement for a specific type of bed for example telemetry, negative pressure, isolation or mental health.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D'Ath says there are multiple reasons people may stay in the ED for 24 hours or more before being discharged or admitted, but says it doesn’t mean they aren’t receiving care. Picture: Liam Kidston

“When patients do wait in the ED for more than 24 hours, they are monitored by the clinical staff and the management to identify the reason and to take affirmative action where required.

“For example if a patient is waiting for a medical admission then an escalation process will occur to help facilitate the movement of the patient.”

A spokeswoman for the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service said the figures being quoted by the WBHHS were indicative only of total length of stay in the ED, not the wait time for treatment.

“WBHHS can confirm that no patients who presented to an ED within our health service waited 24 hours or more to receive treatment,” she said.

“The figures reported reflect data on total length of stay within a WBHHS emergency department, during which time patients are receiving treatment, monitoring and care.

“On occasion, patients may remain in the emergency department receiving this care for more than 24 hours prior to discharge or admission to an inpatient ward.”

The spokeswoman said the WBHHS was committed to providing comprehensive and appropriate care to all patients who require their

services, and that discharge or transfer does not occur unless it is safe and appropriate to do so, regardless of length of stay.

“WBHHS would like to reassure the community that anyone who turns up at an emergency department will be seen, prioritising the most urgent cases,” she said.