Logan Hospital: Patients in ambulances waiting 30 minutes for treatment

ALMOST half of patients transferred by ambulance to one of southeast Queensland’s biggest hospitals are waiting over 30 minutes before being treated.

ALMOST half of all patients transferred to Logan Hospital by ambulance are waiting more than 30 minutes before being treated.

The latest performance data for Queensland emergency departments shows Logan and Redlands are the worst-performing hospitals in the state when it comes to getting patients off stretchers.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates says ambulance ramping affects the quality of care, as well as nurses’ and paramedics’ morale. Picture: AAP/Darren England

Logan Hospital admits only 55 per cent of patients in less than 30 minutes, while Redlands admits 63 per cent.

By comparison, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital transfers 70 per cent of patients coming in via ambulance in under half an hour, and Gold Coast University Hospital admits 72 per cent.

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The union for ambulance officers, United Voice, says Logan Hospital has a bad track record when it comes to “ramping”.

Spokeswoman Fiona Scalon said waiting at hospitals frustrated paramedics because they were needed back out in the community.

“Ramping is an ongoing issue our paramedics shouldn’t have to face,” Ms Scalon said. “Logan Hospital is a repeat offender.

Ambulances queue at hospital when they’re needed back out in the community.

“The chief executive of Metro South Hospital Health Service needs to look into this serious issue as a priority and find a solution for our paramedics and their patients.”

Ms Scalon said systems that worked well to alleviate ramping in other regions were clearly not working in Logan.

“Blockages at Logan have flow-on effects to Redlands Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital,” Ms Scalon said.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates said ambulance ramping had drama­tically increased.

“It affects the quality of patient care provided, and also the morale of nurses and paramedics trying to cope with constant backlogs and delays,” Ms Bates said.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman did not respond to direct questions about the issue but said it worked closely with the Metro South Hospital Health Service to have ambulances returned to the community in the best possible time.