New bureaucrat to be added the already ballooning workforce to help fix overcrowding in hospitals

Another senior bureaucrat will be added to the State Government’s already ballooning workforce at a cost of about $300,000, to help fix overcrowding at the southeast’s busiest emergency departments.

ANOTHER senior bureaucrat will be added to the State Government’s already ballooning workforce at a cost of about $300,000, to help fix overcrowding at the southeast’s busiest emergency departments.

Taxpayers will also fork out up to $3.5 million to bring forward Queensland Health’s winter bed strategy.

A crisis meeting was held yesterday between Queensland Health Director-General, Michael Walsh, QAS commissioner Russell Bowles and Metro South chief executive Dr Steven Ayre to figure out how overcrowding issues could be addressed.

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The Courier-Mail can reveal a new chief operating officer – to be paid about $300,000 – will be immediately created to co-ordinate a better response across the HHS.

An acting COO will be appointed on a temporary basis until it is filled.

The emergency response comes after paramedics faced off against ED staff at Logan Hospital following overcrowding issues.

The emergency response comes after paramedics faced off against ED staff at Logan Hospital following overcrowding issues. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Walker

The Courier-Mail on Wednesday revealed the issue had come to a head after a sensational memo was issued, directing ED nurses to order paramedics to wait outside when beds were full.

It’s also understood Mr Bowles and Dr Ayre will work out of Logan Hospital for two days next week to hear from staff and experience first-hand how the hospital operates.

Queensland Health’s winter beds strategy will also be brought forward to ease pressure on EDs during the notorious flu season.

This will bring about 90 extra beds online across the state and could cost an extra $3.5 million.

This is on top of the $3 million that was announced two weeks ago during a “code yellow’’ crisis that plagued the southeast’s public system.

In total, $16.5 million has been allocated for the flu season – compared to the $10 million in 2018.

United Voice ambulance officer delegate Torrin Nelson, who has been a practising paramedic for 13 years, said the crisis was the worst he had ever seen.

“We’re seeing our ambulances either being redirected away from Logan Hospital which means that they’re taken out of that community, being taken further into town, or they’re queuing up at the hospitals now to the point they’re not even allowed into the hospital and have to wait on the ramp with their patients in the ambulance,” he said.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said this had not happened overnight.

“We are at crisis point in the health system in Queensland,” she said.

“We don’t see it in New South Wales, we don’t see it in Victoria, we see it right here in Queensland because (Premier) Annastacia Palaszczuk can’t do her job.”