CQHHS chief executive apologises to patients, outlines plans to improve ED

The apologetic head of Rockhampton Hospital is urging people who don’t need urgent treatment to seek help elsewhere following a description of the ED as akin to a ‘war zone’.

People with non urgent conditions continue to add to the patient flow pressure at the the Rockhampton Hospital Emergency Department and are being urged to seek treatment elsewhere.

People with non urgent conditions continue to add to the patient flow pressure at the the Rockhampton Hospital Emergency Department and are being urged to seek treatment elsewhere.

Lisa Blackler, Chief Executive, Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service made the point while apologising to patients being forced to wait for lengthy periods at the department.

She was responding to comments by a member of the public describing scenes of stressed patients in a packed ED on Tuesday afternoon.

Her response also came as Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates likened the Rockhampton ED as a “war zone” during a recent visit there.

Shadow Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Ros Bates during a media conference at the Nursing Clinics at CQ University, Rockhampton. Picture: Liam Kidston.

“We continue to have people presenting to the Emergency Department to receive care that could be provided elsewhere,“ Ms Blacker said.

“ I acknowledge it is a challenge to get a GP appointment, but there are other services available in the community for non-life-threatening conditions.

“Emergency Department patients are triaged according to their level of clinical need, and every category 1 (sickest or most seriously injured) patient receives their life-saving care within two minutes.“

In the June quarter there were 12,744 patients through Rockhampton ED.

“There is no doubt that Rockhampton Hospital Emergency Department is a busy place,and our focus remains on improving the flow of patients and ensuring patients get the care they need in the right place at the right time,“ she said.

“I thank our dedicated clinicians and support staff who work tirelessly every single day to provide great care to Central Queenslanders.

“While we never turn anyone away from our EDs, it is the less-urgent cases that need to wait for the attention of our clinicians while they provide life-saving care to others. For that, I apologise.“

“I acknowledge that waiting is difficult, and I assure the community that our team is working hard toward solutions to improve wait times.“

She said the CQHHS had a short term plan to improve patient flow while in the longer term its master planning process for Rockhampton, Gladstone and Capricorn Coast hospitals was under way to inform the “infrastructure investments needed to ensure we meet future demand”.

She outlined a number of measures underway to improve waiting times.

“This week we started Post-Operative Discharge Support Service (PODSS), a new telehealth service for patients who have concerns within 30 days of their discharge from hospital after surgery. Instead of needing to present to the ED, they can speak to an

experienced theatre nurse over the phone.

“If they do need to come back to hospital, they can get assessed through the PODSS clinic and avoid the ED.“

She said aged-care provider Bolton Clarke had agreed to use 30 beds at its Sunset Ridge home in Zilzie for long-stay patients who are in hospital not because they are clinically unwell, but because there were no options.

She said a recruitment drive to attract staff will open the interim-care beds in a phased approach.

“This will free up hospital space for people who are acutely unwell, improving patient flow, and will have an impact on people waiting in the ED for a hospital bed.

“These new services join other hospital-avoidance initiatives including Hospital in the Home; Early Access Team (suitable patients are discharged from hospital safer and sooner with allied health home visits); Mental Health Co-responder in partnership with Queensland Ambulance Service; and Respiratory Rapid Access giving people with a chronic respiratory condition access to early specialist advice from home.”

Services available in the community for non-life-threatening conditions that were outlined include HealthDirect Symptom checker, a cost-free online service that can be used at any time of the day for advice on the most appropriate service for health conditions.

It is an online survey that takes an average of six minutes, before advising the best healthcare service for you. This might include general practice, Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, pharmacies, online providers, or the Queensland Virtual Emergency Care Service.