LNP: 10 patients a day walk from Wide Bay hospital

NEW figures reveal how many patients from Wide Bay walked out of emergency departments without treatment in March 2019.

SHOCKING NUMBERS: 312 patients walked out of Wide Bay emergency departments without treatment in March. Picture: Paul Donaldson BUN261017HOS2

AN average of 10 patients a day are walking out of "over-crowded" emergency departments at Wide Bay hospitals, the Oppposition claims.

Data released to the NewsMail shows 312 patients walked out of Wide Bay hospitals without receiving treatment in March.

The figures come from the Queensland Health data for March. Across the state 5841 patients walked out of over-crowded emergency departments around Queensland without treatment.

The figure is a 65 per cent increase on the 2300 patients since Annastacia Palaszczuk became Premier in February 2015, the LNP said.

LNP shadow minister for Health Ros Bates said Labor's health crisis was impacting patients across the whole state.

"Emergency departments are over-crowded, ambulance ramping has skyrocketed and surgery waiting times are blowing out, that's the Palaszczuk Labor Government's record," she said.

"As a former ED nurse I know how stressful it can get and under Labor patients and staff deserve better.

"Only the LNP will fix ramping, boost beds, improve resources and restore confidence in the health system."

LNP leader Deb Frecklington said patients were giving up after four years of failed Labor health policies.

"Many of our public hospitals are bursting at the seams thanks to Labor and it's clearly impacting patient care," she said.

"Our hard-working nurses, doctors and paramedics are doing the best they can, but they simply need more help on the frontline.

"Annastacia Palaszczuk's priorities are all wrong, instead of investing in health she'd rather waste taxpayers' money changing a hospital name and spend millions on botched IT programs.

"When it comes to managing our public health system, you can't trust Labor."

A response has been sought from Wide Bay Health Service and the health minister's office.

Individual Health Services - ranked in order:

Metro North: 946.

Gold Coast: 850.

Metro South: 740.

Cairns: 535.

Darling Downs: 402.

Sunshine Coast: 376.

Townsville: 340.

Central Qld: 320.

Wide Bay: 312.

West Moreton: 279.

North West: 240.

Mackay: 166.

Children's Health Qld: 91.

Torres and Cape: 70.

South West: 56.

Central West: 4.

Originally published as LNP: 10 patients a day walk from Wide Bay hospital