Frustrated doctors use action plan to push for overhaul

Doctors are pleading for a big shake-up of the health system, warning there was no additional capacity to handle surges in hospitals as Queensland faces cyclone season and the border reopening

Exhausted doctors are pleading for the operations of the state’s hospitals to be overhauled and for governments to stop pointing the finger, warning there was no additional capacity to handle surges as Queensland marched towards cyclone season and its borders reopening.

The state’s peak medical body will today release its Ramping Roundtable Action Plan that stresses at least 1500 beds are urgently needed while some hospital services needed to stop operating 9-5.

The plan has proposed five key initiatives to improve patient flow and ease bed block including hiring and training staff to keep acute hospitals “fully functional” seven days a week with extended hours.

AMAQ President Dr. Chris Perry. News Corp/Attila Csaszar.

It also calls for hospitals to operate at below 90 per cent capacity to provide room for surges, detailed analysis of patient flow and for the government to support alternative ways for patients to access hospital care that’s not through emergency departments.

AMAQ President Chris Perry said co-operation was needed from all levels of government.

“It should not be up to a group of doctors to do this work,” he said.

“Queensland Health needs to take the advice of the Roundtable and put these actions into place.

“The politics must be put aside and finger pointing and shifting of blame between state and federal funding must stop.”

The Roundtable is urging the Commonwealth to free up 685 beds being used by NDIS recipients and those waiting for an aged care spot.

The Courier-Mail earlier this year revealed frustrated doctors were so fed up they convened a roundtable to tackle bed-block themselves.

Among a raft of short-term actions, the Roundtable is urging the Commonwealth to free up 685 beds being used by NDIS recipients and those waiting for an aged care spot, while the state needs to fund 815 new beds.

Emergency physician and AMAQ’s Roundtable chair Kim Hansen said doctors were “stretched to breaking point” and that it was “clear where the problems lie”.

“We need leadership and accountability, but above all, we need to see action and we need it now,” she said.

“As we head into summer and cyclone season and with the borders reopening, we have no capacity to handle any surges that might come from Covid outbreaks, natural disasters, or other emergencies.”

Dr Hansen said hospital services like radiology and pathology needed to be available seven days a week.