Ros Bates slams emergency waiting times in Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Bundaberg
Emergency waiting times across the three Wide Bay hospitals have been slammed as “dangerous and disturbing” as new figures for Hervey Bay, Maryborough and Bundaberg are revealed.
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New concerns have been raised regarding “dangerous” waiting times in Wide Bay emergency rooms, with disturbing figures showing patients are waiting longer for treatment in Maryborough, Hervey Bay and Bundaberg.
In the June 2022 quarter, the number of patients not seen within the clinically recommended time at the Bundaberg Hospital ED hit 63 per cent, an increase of 15 per cent from the March 2022 quarter.
In Hervey Bay, 47 per cent of patients were not seen on time, the same number as the March quarter.
In Maryborough, 54 per cent of people were not seen on time, an increase of six per cent from the March quarter.
In a press release sent by the Queensland Opposition, those waiting times were described as having reached “dangerous new levels”.
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said Bundaberg had the worst percentage for emergency department performance in Queensland.
“This is another blow for the people of Bundaberg,” Ms Bates said.
“All Queenslanders deserve a world-class health system no matter where they live.
“We now know 54 per cent of patients aren’t seen on time in Maryborough’s emergency department, and nearly half of all patients face the same prospect at Hervey Bay Hospital.
“These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet.
“This is your grandad with a broken hip or a child having an asthma attack.”
Ms Bates said the LNP had put solutions on the table, including more beds, extra resources, releasing data in real time and giving the power back to local decision makers who know their local communities.
“Bundaberg was promised a level five hospital before the last election, but those plans were axed after the 2020 election and they’re still waiting,” she said.
Ms Bates said as a registered nurse and former hospital administrator, she understood how stressful it was for her colleagues on the frontline.
“These dedicated men and women are working double shifts week-in-week-out,“ she said.
“They deserve more respect and resources from the State Government.
“This third term State Government has given up on listening to Queenslanders.
“Queenslanders deserve better.”
Bundaberg MP Tom Smith was quick to hit back against those comments on Tuesday.
“This is the same LNP that refused to admit Covid-19 even exists and that it has an impact not only on our health system but our social and economic way of life,” he said.
“This is the LNP that called for the borders to be open 64 times, putting at risk the lives of people in Queensland, putting them in harm’s way.”
Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Debbie Carroll said presentations across the three emergency departments had decreased by 5 per cent during April to June 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.
“While this is a slight overall decrease, in our most common triage presentations of Category 3 we have experienced a 4 per cent growth, seeing 12,674 patients in this category,” she said.
“Our emergency department continues to see the most critical patients on time with 100 per cent of the most urgent Category 1 patients seen within their clinically recommended waiting time.
“Our hospitals will not turn away anyone who presents at an ED; however, our staff will always attend to the sickest patients first.
“This means people with less serious ailments like a minor graze or infection will need to wait longer than someone that has suffered major trauma or is seriously ill, regardless of whether they arrive by ambulance or via their own transport.
“The challenges of COVID-19 on Wide Bay HHS emergency departments and inpatient wards continue to impact wait times for lower urgency patients.
“WBHHS continues to work positively and collaboratively with the Queensland Ambulance Service to manage waiting times and has implemented several new models of care in the community such as the Rapid Interdisciplinary Seniors Engagement, Specialist Palliative Care In-reach Service and Residential Aged Support Service that help reduce pressure on our emergency departments.
“On top of this we continue to invest in future facilities and upgrades to increase our inpatient capacity which will enable better flow of patients out of the emergency department and free up beds.
“Examples of this include the opening of Maryborough Hospital Ward 1, the announcement of funding for the expansion of Hervey Bay Hospital and $1.2 billion for the new Bundaberg Hospital project.”
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