Qld Nurses and Midwives’ Union calls for urgent emergency department review

A major Queensland union has called for an urgent review of public hospital emergency departments.

QUEENSLAND’S peak nurses’ union wants an urgent review of public hospital emergency departments across the state, given an “unprecedented” demand for beds and staff.

Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union secretary Beth Mohle said workload pressures in public hospital emergency departments were a “significant concern”.

“We monitor where we’re getting workload grievances,” Ms Mohle said. “The hotspots are emergency departments, mental health, maternity and some operating theatres, but EDs are the ones that standout in terms of workload disputes.”

HOSPITALS WHERE EMERGENCY WAIT IS MORE THAN A DAY

EMERGENCY DR BLOWS THE WHISTLE ON REDLAND HOSPITAL CRISIS

Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union secretary Beth Mohle, who has called for an urgent review of public hospital emergency departments.

Emergency departments have been particularly under pressure this year with one of the worst flu seasons on record.

“It’s been a shocker of a year,” Ms Mohle said.

“Our members are running on empty.”

She said population growth and limited patient access to bulk billing doctors were also putting emergency departments under increasing pressure.

“The time has come for an urgent review of Queensland’s emergency departments with real action to follow,” Ms Mohle said, adding it should be conducted by clinicians with emergency department experience.

“We need a helicopter view of the state’s emergency departments in order to develop an action plan. “The answers are going to be multifaceted. Part of it is that they need more staff.”

Ms Mohle said the issue also needed to be addressed at the next Council of Australian Governments meeting between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state premiers.

But Mr Morrison recently cancelled a planned COAG meeting in December, where health was on the agenda.

“Our funding model is failing in healthcare,” Ms Mohle said.

“It’s a funding model nightmare. It needs to be a COAG issue. We need to have urgent attention on this.”

Ms Mohle said more money needed to be poured into preventive health to keep people out of hospital.

She also called for more nurses in aged care homes to look after elderly patients where they live, rather than in hospitals.

“There’s not one silver bullet for this,” Ms Mohle said.

“It’s complex and multi-layered. We think the way to get a suite of solutions is to have a high level review that delivers an action plan.”

But Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates said another review wasn’t the answer.

“Labor have wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars on numerous IT debacles that have stopped doctors and nurses from doing their jobs,” Ms Bates said.

“The biggest problem facing Queensland Health is the failing Palaszczuk Labor Government.”