Not happening: Qld Government rules out ramping data changes

The Palaszczuk government has ruled out changing the way it collates and reports paramedic wait times.

The Palaszczuk government has ruled out changing the way it collates and reports ­ambulance ramping data as it was slammed for not having published this year’s hospital performance data yet.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said there was no intention to change how lost time of paramedics was recorded, after reports health officials floated the idea.

Nine News on Wednesday revealed health officials had discussed changing the reporting so that paramedic wait times would be measured from when patients saw a ­triage nurse, as opposed to when they initially arrive at hospital via ambulance.

The move would ultimately reduce the amount of lost time that’s reported.

RTI documents revealed an email sent by Queensland Ambulance Service acting commissioner Craig Emery to other health officials in ­August last year, which read: “I just hope we are not looking for ways to reframe the impacts as they are very real for QAS.

“Agreeing to change the collection method of patient off-stretcher time (starting point being triage) has the potential to recast lost time, reflecting a ‘reduction’ between 60-120hrs per day,” he wrote.

“This can’t be seen as improvement rather just a different capture method.”

Hospital ramping at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Picture: Liam Kidston.

But the government hosed down the idea on Thursday, saying it was not happening.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli took aim at the ­government during Question Time. “Is the government’s ­solution to the worst ambulance ramping in the country to fudge the figures, not fix the ramping crisis?” he said. But Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said there was no decision to change the reporting.

“I am aware that department officers, the hospital and health services and the Queensland Ambulance Service were having frank and honest conversations around measurements and I am sure that, over the years, they have all had conversations around targets and measurements for patient off-stretcher data,” Ms D’Ath said.

“My response was pretty clear – it is not about the ­measurement; it is about the people. As the Health Minister and as a government, our priority is getting the people off the stretchers, into the ED and hospital beds, and getting ambulances back on the road.”

Asked later if the government was going to change the reporting, Mr Miles said: “No, the Health Minister was very clear, there’s no intention to change that.”

But Mr Crisafulli insisted the government hadn’t ruled it out, saying it was “leaving the door ajar”. The Opposition urged the government to publish its hospital performance data from the March quarter.