Bundaberg, Gympie, Hervey Bay hospitals fall short of treatment targets, QAO says

Fingers are being pointed everywhere and the blame game has begun after three of the Wide Bay’s four major hospitals have failed to meet either target for treating emergency patients on time, according to a damning new report by the Queensland Audit Office.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders has pointed the finger squarely at the Federal Government, saying its inability to fix the GP shortage in regional areas is a key reason why hospitals including Maryborough’s have largely failed to meet recommended emergency treatment times.

Emergency patients presenting at Wide Bay hospitals are being forced to wait longer than necessary, according to a damning new report that reveals three of the region’s four health services are failing to meet any of their treatment time targets.

Bundaberg Base Hospital, Hervey Bay Hospital and Gympie Hospital all failed to meet treatment time targets for emergency room patients, according the Queensland Audit Office’s latest report into hospital waiting times.

Only two thirds (67 per cent) of Bundaberg emergency patients were treated within the recommended four hours, well short of the 80 per cent goal.

At Hervey Bay the number was between 70-75 per cent, while Gympie and Maryborough Hospitals treated about 77 per cent per cent of patients in the recommended time.

It was a similar story for ramping.

Gympie Hospital was the worst, with only 73 per cent of patients who arrived by ambulance handed over to the Emergency Department within 30 minutes.

This fell significantly short of the 90 per cent target.

Only two thirds (67 per cent) of emergency patients at Bundaberg Base Hospital were being treated within four hours, well short of the 80 per cent target.

Bundaberg and Hervey Bay hospitals had about 75 per cent of patients transferred within 30 minutes.

Maryborough Hospital was the only one to meet the target with almost 95 per cent handed over.

The report says overall Queensland Health has only implemented two of four recommendations the QAO made six years ago.

Wide Bay hospitals (highlighted in red) largely failed to meet any of the target treatment guidelines.

“It has not effectively addressed the risk of inappropriate use of short-term treatment areas and has not identified how to detect unauthorised data entries and changes,” the report says.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders pointed the finger squarely at the Federal Government.

Maryborough Hospital was the only one of the Wide Bay’s services to meet even one of its targets. Photo: Alistair Brightman

“The problem we’re having is a lack of GPs,” Mr Saunders said.

The closure of the Queens Park Medical Centre, which left 2000 patients without a doctor despite the region already being “desperate” for GPs, was a prime example of the problem.

Mr Saunders said the hospital was getting “swamped” with people who were fronting up there after failing to find appointment at any of the city’s booked out clinics.

“Until we get the Federal Government to get more GPs we’re going to suffer,” Mr Saunders said.

Gympie MP Tony Perrett pointed his finger at the State Government.

The lone State LNP member within the Wide Bay electorate, Mr Perrett said the Audit Office’s report “backs up what I’m hearing directly from constituents on a daily basis”.

Maryborough MP and Labor member Bruce Saunders said blame fell to the Federal Government for failing to fix the area’s ongoing doctor shortage.

“The QAO said Queensland ambulance ramping is worsening and ‘this target has not been met at the statewide level in the past seven years’,” he said.

“These are not the only issues being faced at the local hospital.

“The paediatric ward is not functioning, services are under stress, patients are transferred to the Sunshine Coast.

“In some cases, services are removed altogether.

“No one finds out until they notice a change in what’s provided, or a loss of services.

“There is a lack of transparency, a culture of secrecy, cover ups and stalling.”

Gympie MP and opposition member Tony Perrett pointed his finger squarely at the State Government, saying the treatment failures were the result of an ongoing lack of transparency and a culture of secrecy.

At the end of August the Bundaberg, Maryborough and Hervey Bay hospitals were the scenes of protests from the Together Union over bed shortages and staff workloads.

Shortly after the Audit Office tabled its report on Tuesday, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said work was “already underway” to implement the report’s findings.

“Since the QAO’s last report on EDs in 2014, walk-ins to our EDs have increased by 20.5 per cent, with presentations by ambulance up 45.8 per cent,” Ms D’Ath said.

“Over the same period, Queensland’s population has increased by 9.5 per cent.

“Demand pressure is also being exacerbated by rising acuity, with category 1 presentations increasing by 41 per cent, and category 2 presentations rising by 50 per cent.

“Increasing pressures on emergency departments aren’t unique to Queensland and are being seen in all jurisdictions, which is why all states and territories have been raising this through national cabinet.”