LNP’s David Crisafulli takes aim at Annastacia Palaszczuk government over Ipswich Hospital ramping

David Crisafulli said an Ipswich woman waited 40 minutes for an ambulance to take her daughter three kilometres to the Ipswich Hospital, where they waited nine hours for attention

LNP Leader David Crisafulli highlighted the ramping rates at Ipswich Hospital in parliament this week.

LNP Leader David Crisafulli has highlighted long standing ramping issues at Ipswich Hospital in an attack on Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government, accusing it of “losing control” of Queensland Health.

In parliament on Wednesday, Mr David Crisafulli took aim at Ms Palaszczuk and Health Minister Yvette D’Ath, who both fired back by condemning his role in the cuts to the health sector under Campbell Newman.

“In 2011 when Premier Anna Bligh said Queensland Health was a basket case and needed to be abolished, ambulance ramping was at 30 per cent,” Mr Crisafulli said.

Photo of Ipswich Hospital taken by Ipswich woman Kirsty given to David Crisafulli.

“Today 40 per cent of all ambulance arrivals are ramped.

“Is Labor losing control of Queensland Health yet again?”

He said at 3.30am last Wednesday an Ipswich woman named Kirsty called an ambulance for her daughter as she was struggling to breathe.

“She has told me they waited 40 minutes for an ambulance to travel from Crestmead to take them three kilometres to the Ipswich Hospital where they waited nine hours for attention,” he said.

In a statement, Mr Crisafulli said Kirsty waited in emergency for nine hours without treatment as her daughter suffered a serious reaction to medication.

“In (New South Wales) 12.7 per cent of patients are ramped, it’s 22.2 per cent in Victoria,” he said.

“But in Queensland, we’re now up to 40 per cent.

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“Behind these statistics are Queenslanders waiting in their time of need at hospitals and at home.”

Ms Palaszczuk shot back, pointing to her government’s $20 billion health spend, which was a $1.7 billion increase on the year before.

“I will not be lectured by the Leader of the Opposition, who sat around the cabinet table, who sat next to Campbell Newman and decimated health in this state,” she said.

“How dare they come in here and talk about health in this state.”

Ms D’Ath said it was “ignorant” of the LNP to take aim at the state’s health system considering it was under increased pressure due to COVID-19.

“Those on the opposite side continue to talk down the health system in this state, to be completely ignorant of the fact that there is disruption to every health system in the world right now,” she said.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath

“They are denying the impact that COVID is having on health systems and the disruption it is causing.

“I remind them that if they want to talk about stats or the impact on workers, let’s talk about the 4,400 health workers that they sacked, the 1,800 nurses and midwives and the $1.6 billion cut to health.

“We have a lot more people presenting in our emergency departments.

“One reason we are seeing more presentations in our emergency departments is that people cannot get in to see their GP.

“They cannot get bulk-billing in their communities.

“I am not talking about just remote and regional communities, I am talking about in south east Queensland as well.

“As people are being told they have to wait two or three weeks before they can see their GP, they are coming into emergency departments.”

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The QT reported last month there had been a rise in patient ramping at Ipswich Hospital.

According to the latest figures, about 39 per cent of patients were being impacted by ramping, which was 11 per cent more than in December 2019, and 40 per cent of people attending the emergency department were not treated within clinically recommended time frames.

There had been an almost 12 per cent increase in presentations to the state’s emergency departments in between July last year and January 31.

A Queensland Health spokeswoman said there had been a “deluge” of people presenting to public hospitals in recent months.

“We are also seeing an increase of patients requiring urgent care, meaning those with less serious and non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries will need to wait,” she said.

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Originally published as LNP’s David Crisafulli takes aim at Annastacia Palaszczuk government over Ipswich Hospital ramping