Figures show Mackay Base Hospital’s ambulance ramping crisis is not improving

The health minister is being called on to visit the region and outline her plan to improve wait times.

Mackay Base Hospital. Picture: Tony Martin

Mackay’s ambulance ramping crisis has shown no sign of improvement since June 2019, alarming new figures show.

Queensland Health hospital data has revealed a quarter of patients (25 per cent) taken to Mackay Base Hospital waited more than 30 minutes to be transferred off stretcher as at January 2021.

This figure has remained virtually unchanged when compared to data from June 2020, which showed 24.6 per cent waited more than 30 minutes to be transferred off stretcher.

Data from the year before that (June 2019) also showed 25.4 per cent of patients were waiting longer than 30 minutes.

The new data shows 15.9 per cent of patients at Mackay Base Hospital were not seen within the clinically recommended time frames during October, November, December 2020.

There were 2500 more ED presentations in the Mackay region in February 2021 than the same time last year.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the Palaszczuk Government was investing a record $989.7m in 2020-21 to strengthen ambulance services in Queensland.

“We’re also investing $1.625b in our statewide health infrastructure program to meet the demands of Queensland’s growing population,” Ms D’Ath said.

“Additionally, to support the system’s response and its ability to balance these competing demands, an additional $25m has been prioritised for investment in 2020-21 to open additional bed capacity across the system.

“The first $15m has already been allocated to HHSs.

“For the LNP to suggest that patients are in the back of ambulances without treatment shows a lack of understanding, and is an insult to our hardworking paramedics and Queensland Health staff.”

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

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Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates said Queensland’s public health system was in a “shocking state”.

“It’s unacceptable that a quarter of patients taken to Mackay Base Hospital in an ambulance are forced to wait longer than the recommended timeframe, while a quarter of patients have the same treatment in the Emergency Department,” Ms Bates said.

“As a nurse, I know how exhausting it can be for doctors and nurses working long hours under immense pressure on the frontline.

“Hospital staff across Queensland are sick of being ignored by the state government and their refusal to properly resource our hospitals.”

Ms Bates has called on the minister to urgently travel to the region, listen to staff and outline her plan to improve wait times.

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Originally published as Figures show Mackay Base Hospital’s ambulance ramping crisis is not improving