Premier finally admits southeast Queensland hospitals in crisis
After it was revealed southeast Queensland hospitals have hit capacity 32 times this year, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she accepts responsibility for the “emergency” situation but has pointed the finger at the Federal Government, too.
QLD Politics
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD Politics. Followed categories will be added to My News.
PUBLIC hospitals across the state’s southeast have hit capacity 32 times already this year.
But after hitting the panic button earlier this week, Queensland Health now says the “code yellows” are no cause for alarm in the community.
The hospital debacle continued until 10.30am on Thursday, when Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that 10 hospitals that had activated code yellow had finally fallen below capacity.
As of late Thursday, those hospitals were still below capacity.
Southeast Qld hospitals still full, but we’re ‘not in crisis’
‘There are too many patients’: Palaszczuk on QLD’s hospital crisis
Fionnagh Dougan resigns as Queensland Children’s Hospital chief executive to return to New Zealand
Federal challenge to get carpark done at Redland Hospital
However The Courier-Mail can reveal that since January 1, there have been 32 capacity code yellows across the 12 hospitals in the Metro North, Metro South and Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services.
And in response to a letter fired off by the premier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hit back at claims of the lack of federal funding, saying the management of Queensland hospitals was a matter for the State Government.
It comes after the Labor Government defected blame on to the Coalition for not moving aged cared patients and people awaiting NDIS assessments out of the public hospital system more quickly.
“The Department of Health is working with Queensland’s State Health Emergency co-ordination Centre, including releasing data that identifies current vacancies in Queensland Aged Care services to facilitate Hospital and Health Services making contact on a patient’s behalf where appropriate,” Mr Morrison wrote.
“As at 30 June 2018, 89.1 per cent of operational places in Queensland were occupied. This is the lowest of any state or territory and indicates there are places available.”
Mr Morrison said during 2014-15 to 2017-18, the Australian Government’s funding for public hospitals in Queensland had grown by $1.2 billion or 40 per cent.
The Prime Minister also said the “substantial growth” in private patient separations in Queensland hospitals had impacted on access to beds.
Ms Palaszczuk on Thursday accepted responsibility for the emergency that’s plagued the southeast this week, claiming “You can call it an emergency. You can call it a crisis.”
“I accept my responsibility and I expect the Federal Government to accept their responsibility because that is what good, decent governments do,” she told parliament.
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said the health service remained in crisis. “The Labor Government has failed to plan,” she said.
“We know that the south east Queensland hospitals are still at breaking point.
“This didn’t happened overnight, this crisis has been in the making for many months.”
$135m health bungle: Minister’s apology to affected businesses
Health Minister Steven Miles has apologised to businesses that have suffered delays because of the new Queensland Health payment system.
Hundreds of staff underpaid at Queensland utility
A Queensland Government-owned utility corporation has underpaid hundreds of its senior staff for more than a decade in a bungle that could have ripped off up to a quarter of its workforce.