‘Highest ever’ ramping rate: New data shows extent of health crisis

A staggering three of every four people trying to get into a South East Queensland hospital were left waiting in an ambulance for more than 30 minutes, new figures show.

More than half of all critically ill Queenslanders trying to get into some of the state’s hospitals are being forced to wait in ambulances for longer than recommended, new data has revealed.

And ambulance ramping has deteriorated to such a point a staggering three of every four people trying to get into Redland Hospital in July were left waiting in an ambulance for more than 30 minutes.

Health sector experts said the ongoing ramping issue was a “symptom” of a system in distress, which would be aided by communities being able to access the right care at the right time rather than have to escalate it to an emergency setting.

The opposition believes the 73 per cent ramping rate at Redland Hospital is the highest ever recorded.

The data comes after it was revealed earlier this week that one in five Queensland hospitals cut their bed numbers in the eight months to May, with some health facilities losing more than 15 beds.

New ramping figures, tabled by Health Minister Yvette D’Ath, revealed that at 11 hospitals in the state – out of 26 – between 50 per cent and 73 per cent of patients being brought in by ambulance in July were forced to wait more than 30 minutes before getting access to the emergency department.

Those hospitals included Caboolture, Rockhampton, Prince Charles, Princess Alexandra, RBWH, Ipswich, QEII and Logan.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Picture: Annette Dew

A Queensland Health spokesman said a growing and ageing population, declining private health cover and other issues including Covid-19 meant the system was facing increased pressure.

“However, all Category 1 patients (those who are the most sick) continue to be seen within two minutes of presenting at an emergency department,” he said.

Australasian College of Paramedicine chief executive John Bruning said ambulance ramping, or “access block” and “bed block”, was a symptom of “a health system in distress”.

Ambulance ramping at the PA Hospital in Brisbane, which is one of 11 hospitals in the state where more than half of patients brought in by ambulance in July were forced to wait more than 30 minutes before getting access to the emergency department. Picture: David Clark

Mr Bruning said the ability to access help outside the emergency department setting, through GPs or urgent care clinics where multidisciplinary teams could tend to people’s needs, would go a long way to treating the issue.

“The key issue is the inability for the community to access the right care in the right place at the right time … It ultimately comes down to a health system that as a whole is not really delivering what it needs to deliver,” Mr Bruning said.

AMA Queensland president Dr Maria Boulton said the ramping figures did not surprise her and the issue facing smaller hospitals, such as the one in Redland, was the need to transfer patients to larger ones but being unable to as there was no space.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the health crisis had hit a “dire new level” and the situation at Redland hospital was “unacceptable”.