Up to 1100 hours: Shocking wait times faced at Gold Coast hospitals revealed

A Gold Coast MP has claimed the State Government is ‘losing control’ of the health crisis as new figures reveal the impact of ramping on the city’s hospitals.

Ambulances lined up at the Gold Coast University Hospital.

Gold Coast paramedics spent up to 1100 hours in one month waiting with patients outside emergency departments last quarter, according to the latest “lost time” data.

State government statistics released for a question on notice reveal each ambulance across the state recorded an average of 16.67 minutes’ lost time from April to June.

Gold Coast facilities’ lost time increased throughout the quarter, from 884 hours across 5182 patient arrivals in April to 1151 hours across 5355 patient arrivals in June.

Quarterly performance data for the Gold Coast Health and Hospital Service indicates 100 per cent of Category 1 patients – described as ‘immediately life-threatening’ – were seen within clinically recommended times.

These figures dropped to 59 per cent for Category 2 patients – or ‘imminently life-threatening’ – and 73 per cent for Category 3 or ‘potentially life-threatening’.

AUGUST 4, 2023: Member for Mudgeeraba Ros Bates and Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli during the State Parliament Estimates in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

LNP health spokeswoman and Gold Coast MP Ros Bates claimed the latest numbers showed Health Minister Shannon Fentiman was “losing control” of the state’s “health crisis”.

“There is no denying these new ramping numbers because they came directly from her department,” Ms Bates said.

“These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet, these are Queenslanders stuck in the back of an ambulance because of the poor planning by the Palaszczuk Labor Government.”

Opposition Leader David Crusafulli said the state’s health system was “on life support” and required urgent solutions such as “better” triaging and resources, real-time data sharing, and “putting doctors and nurses back in charge”.

A Health Minister spokesperson said lost time was not an official metric and should not be relied upon to determine a facility’s true ‘patient off stretcher time’ (POST).

They said Category 1 presentations at Gold Coast emergency departments rose 15 per cent last quarter compared to the same period last year, with the state recording its highest ever number of emergency arrivals in the past financial year.

“Despite this, our amazing health workers are continuing to ensure that Queenslanders get the care they need,” the spokesperson said.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at a press conference, Brisbane City, 18th September 2023 - Photo Steve Pohlner

“Statewide lost time data between late August and mid-September has declined significantly compared to last year, and Gold Coast (Health and Hospital Service) saw a 33 per cent reduction in lost time last financial year.

“Since 2015, we have employed more than 1100 additional frontline paramedics, which has ensured that over 90 per cent of (triple-0) calls are answered within 10 seconds, and 90 per cent of the most critical incidents are attended in approximately 17 minutes.”

A Gold Coast Health spokesperson said the department was working with the Queensland Ambulance Service to continue improving its lost time performance.

“ (GCHHS) is home to the busiest emergency department in the country, which equates to more ambulances arriving and therefore a higher number of lost minutes,” they said.

The new figures come ahead of the public opening of the multimillion-dollar Tugun Satellite Hospital, which has been touted as relieving pressure on existing Gold Coast facilities.

Originally published as Up to 1100 hours: Shocking wait times faced at Gold Coast hospitals revealed