Elderly Qld woman left waiting four hours at hospital after fall

The son of a 93-year-old nursing home resident kept waiting for four hours with a broken hip has lashed the Premier and Health Minister over their priorities.

A man has recounted in horror how his elderly mother had to wait four hours for an ambulance after suffering a serious fall at a Brisbane aged care facility.

Jack, who withheld his last name, said his 93-year-old mother broke her hip and ended up needing emergency surgery, a pin and developed pneumonia.

An ambulance was requested about 5pm on April 14, however Jack said one did not arrive until 9.15pm, despite several calls during that period.

The woman was tended to by staff at the facility until an ambulance arrived.

Jack took aim at Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Health Minister Yvette D’Ath, claiming they should be outraged.

“We have the Premier raving on about grandstand seats for a future event, but we can’t fund ambulances and beds,” he said.

Jack said it was unacceptable and atrocious that his mother had to wait hours.

“She’s paid taxes all her life,” he said.

“She’s a self-funded retiree.”

The woman was expected to be released from St Vincent’s Hospital yesterday.

Ms D’Ath said it concerned her to hear of any case where a patient experienced pain and discomfort, and she expressed her sympathy to the woman and her family.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (left) with Health Minister Yvette D'Ath

“I also want to assure all Queenslanders that our hardworking paramedics are delivering world-class treatment to ambulance patients – sometimes as many as 3000 a day,” she said.

“Securing additional investment for frontline health services is my key priority, and this will continue to be my No.1 focus.”

The Opposition grilled the Government about ambulance “ramping” at hospitals again yesterday, questioning whether Labor was losing control of it.

Ms D’Ath hit back, saying one reason there were more presentations in emergency departments was because people couldn’t get to see their GPs.

“I am not talking about just remote and regional communities; I am talking about in southeast Queensland as well,” she said.

But Queensland Health data has revealed the majority of patients who presented at Cairns, Townsville, the Sunshine Coast, Logan and Prince Charles emergency departments between October and December last year, were classified as potentially serious or life-threatening category-three and four illnesses – not category-five patients which are less urgent.

Opposition open data spokesman Brent Mickelberg said the Minister had blamed Queenslanders for weeks for seeking treatment in hospitals when they should be going to a GP.

“It’s time for the State Government to stop blaming Queenslanders who seek treatment for potentially serious or life-threatening illnesses by showing up to hospital emergency departments,” he said.