Victorian man dies on an ambulance stretcher at Northern Hospital

The tragic death of a man who was waiting for an emergency room bed has again highlighted the enormous strain felt across Victoria’s health network.

A man in palliative care died on an ambulance stretcher having waited more than 30 minutes for a bed in a busy emergency room.

The Herald Sun has been told the man – said to be aged in his 60s – was taken to the Northern Hospital, ­Epping, where he died this month.

It’s the latest in a string of examples revealed by the Herald Sun of Victorians being failed by the crippled hospital system.

Although it’s understood no complaint has been made by the victim’s family, the incident has again highlighted the enormous strain on Victoria’s health network.

Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said the patient arrived at the hospital in an ambulance during a ramping event.

A man has died while waiting for a bed at Northern Hospital. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“Palliative care is a challenging area at times, even when our hospitals aren’t ­experiencing extreme strain,” Mr Hill said.

“We know an emergency department is not the right place for a patient who is exiting the world. What we really want to see happen (is that) as soon as patients are brought into hospital, they are immediately placed into a bed and into the care of the hospital. But there are purely not enough beds.

“This is not about a lack of clinical care, it’s about them being given the option to be surrounded in a comfortable area with their family in their final moments. This is about patient dignity. It’s about giving them the most dignified exit from this world.”

Australian Medical Association Victoria president Roderick McRae said it was unacceptable for patients to die on ambulance stretchers.

“Every step of the way (through this incident) does not sound like it was in the interests of that person,” Dr McRae said.

Ambulance ramping has become a common occurance in recent months. Picture: Wayne Taylor

“It’s unacceptable for this to be happening in a place like Melbourne.

“We need to look after our Victorians better so that no one else ends up in that circumstance, which is so unsatisfactory for everyone involved in that situation.

“Dying on an ambulance gurney is in nobody’s interest. All healthcare workers comprehend that all persons will die one day, but even in the terminal phase of an illness, they want it to be as comfortable and dignified as it can be.”

Dr McRae said the case highlighted the true extent of the state’s healthcare crisis and would undoubtedly lead to more healthcare workers leaving the industry.

“The ramifications of that is another nurse says ‘I can’t take this anymore, I quit’, or another paramedic says ‘I can’t do it anymore, I quit’,” he said.

“All those healthcare workers, of every craft, they will feel dreadful, personally dreadful, because they couldn’t do anything to assist.

“The system is unbelievably stressed. Until you lift up the carpet and look, nobody will understand.”

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said: “This is another tragic and ­appalling event under Daniel Andrews’ watch. Enough is enough.”

A Northern Health spokeswoman said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with the family at this difficult time”.

She said correct procedures were followed in this case.

Originally published as Victorian man dies on an ambulance stretcher at Northern Hospital