Dead father’s family labels Fentiman’s data change ‘hurtful’

Shannon Fentiman is accused of ordering a “disgraceful cover-up” about the performance of Queensland’s health system six months before the state election – a claim she’s slammed as wrong.

Shannon Fentiman is accused of ordering a ‘disgraceful cover up’ about the performance of Queensland’s health system six months before the state election. Photo: Tertius Pickard

• Analysis: Timing raises questions

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has been accused of ordering a “disgraceful cover-up” about the performance of Queensland’s health system – a claim she’s dismissed as LNP incompetence.

The stinging tit-for-tat came after Ms Fentiman changed how the government reported ambulance ramping data – a move Lauren Hansford, whose father Wayne Irving died waiting three hours for a hospital bed, labelled hurtful.

Ms Fentiman, who along with her health minister predecessors have released total ambulance lost time data, said it was an informal measure that “we don’t report on”.

Instead, the state government is now providing the average time ambulances spent ramped outside Queensland hospitals.

Ms Fentiman argues it is the most accurate way to measure the performance of the state’s health system.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates accused Ms Fentiman of hiding bad news from residents in the lead-up to a state election.

“Queenslanders deserve to see the ambulance ramping lost hours for the last quarter of last year,” she said.

“This data has been released quarterly, what’s different now?

“This is a disgraceful deliberate cover-up in the middle of the Queensland Health crisis.”

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman receives a flu vaccination from nurse Elli-Mae Nash on Tuesday. Picture: Tertius Pickard/NCA NewsWire

Ms Fentiman insisted the data she provided reflected what the state wanted to know.

“We have given what we believe is the most accurate measure of how long ambulances are waiting at hospital between cases,” she said.

“It is very easy for Ross Bates and the LNP to get the answers they want.

“It is simple grade five math. If they can’t do that calculation, I am really concerned about their ability to run the health system.”

Ms Fentiman said continuing to present a single number of total lost hours was not useful because it did not consider the context of how many people were presenting to hospital.

“If the LNP actually cared about addressing ambulance ramping, they would be the first to admit that breaking down lost time per ambulance is a much better way to assess the state of Queensland’s health system,” she said.

“I want to be very clear, our lost time is improving.

“We have answered this question with I think the most accurate way we can answer that so the community can get an understanding of how many minutes are being lost for ambulances waiting at hospitals.”

Ms Fentiman defended the data release moments after receiving a flu vaccination on Tuesday alongside Premier Steven Miles.

Lauren Hansford, whose father Wayne Irving died on an ambulance stretcher after waiting outside Ipswich Hospital for three hours in November, accused the government of pushing data “under the carpet”.

“I’ve seen the statistics come through and I’ve also struggled to understand it,” she said.

“It’s really hurtful to our family after going through the tragedy with dad.

“It makes them (the government) look even worse than they already are.

“We hoped because there’s been so much light on dad’s case it would deliver positive changes.”

Ms Hansford said the family had received minimal information to date about the review into her father’s death.

“We still struggle, it’s just been Easter so its another first for us without Dad,” she said.

“It’s still hard without him and we’re just trying to fill in the gaps.”

Premier Steven Miles receives a flu vaccination from nurse Elli-Mae Nash on Tuesday. Picture: Tertius Pickard/NCA NewsWire