What sent people to hospital 84,000 times in past 12 months

Broken bones, bruises and other misadventures were the most common reason for a trip to the hospital

Zizi Averill and Zizi.Averill@news.com.au

2 min read

November 23, 2020 - 5:00AM

The Health of Queenslanders 2020 report said nearly one in 10 Mackay Hospital and Health Services visits were related to injuries or poisonings. Picture: Tony Martin

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BROKEN bones, bruises, and other misadventures were the most common reason for a trip to the hospital last year.

The Health of Queenslanders 2020 report said nearly one in 10 Mackay Hospital and Health Services visits were related to injuries or poisonings.

The chief health officer's report analysed 84,630 hospital visits in 2018-19 in the health service, which includes Mackay, Bowen, Proserpine, Clermont, Collinsville, Dysart, Moranbah, Sarina, Glenden, Middlemount and Whitsunday health centres.

Injuries and poisonings were the most common reason residents ended up in the doctor's waiting room, with 7176 incidents last financial year.

Mental health and behavioural hospitalisation were the second most common reason for people to end up in the hospital, with 1783 incidents.

More than 1500 people ended up at the doctor after a nasty tumble, with falls ranking as the third most common reason for a hospitalisation.

Environmental Health and Public Health hospital officers and nurses at the Mackay Base Hospital. Picture: Tony Martin

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But seven per cent of all hospitalisations were avoidable, with 6281 potentially preventable trips to the hospital last financial year.

Almost half of these patients were acute cases.

But the preventable rate has remained steady, despite hospital visits increasing significantly since the last chief health officer's report in 2018.

In the 2017-2018 financial year there were 6667 preventable hospitalisations, out of a total of 78,723 incidents.

The rate of lifestyle related diseases has also remained at a steady four per cent since the last report, with more than 3200 hospital visits in 2018-19.

But in relation to its population, Mackay residents were less likely to take a trip to the hospital, with the lowest hospitalisation rate per 100,000 people when compared to the rest of Queensland.

Mackay residents were eight per cent less likely to visit the health service than their fellow Queenslanders.

Mackay hospitals had fewer patients suffering from mental health issues, dental issues, falls, asthma, pneumonia and influenza, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compared to the Queensland average.

But Mackay hospitals had higher rates of diabetes, coronary heart disease and strokes.

Mackay residents were 10 per cent more likely to be hospitalised for injuries and poisonings compared to their Queensland neighbours, and 18 per cent more likely to be there from a road traffic incident.

Rockhampton and Central Queensland residents were less likely to end up in hospital from injury or poisoning but more likely to present due to falls.

Townsville drivers were less likely than Mackay to end up in hospital from a crash on their roads but more likely to wind up in hospital for diabetes and influenza.

The chief health officer’s report analysed 84,630 hospital visits in 2018-19 in the health service, which includes Mackay, Bowen, Proserpine, Clermont, Collinsville, Dysart, Moranbah, Sarina, Glenden, Middlemount and Whitsunday health centres. Picture: Tony Martin

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Mackay Hospital and Health Service hospitalisations 2018-19

Provided by the Health of Queenslanders 2020 Report

Hospitalisations: 84,630

Lifestyle related hospitalisations: 3217

Coronary heart disease hospitalisations: 1487

stroke hospitalisations: 482

Diabetes hospitalisations: 513

COPD hospitalisations: 598

Pneumonia and Influenza hospitalisations: 824