Almost 40,000 people are on a specialist waitlist at the Gold Coast University hospital
A Gold Coast hospital is facing a specialist waiting list blowout in a further sign the health system cannot cope with the patient load. Read where
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The Gold Coast University Hospital is facing a specialist waiting list blowout in a further sign the health system cannot cope with the patient load, warns the State Opposition.
New data from Queensland Health has revealed the waiting list at the hospital increased by 12 per cent in the past 12 months for the December quarter.
The city has almost 40,000 patients waiting for specialist treatment. Across the State the number threatens to reach 285,000.
Opposition leader David Crisafulli said the huge increases were another damning indictment on the Government’s performance in health.
“Behind the 39,317 patients waiting for their specialist appointment are stories of Gold Coast locals desperate for a better quality of life,” he said.
“Queenslanders are waiting months, if not years to see a specialist for their damaged knee, deteriorating eyesight or heart problems.
“The Opposition has put solutions on the table including better resourcing, improving triaging, real time data monitoring and giving power back to local doctors and nurses to run our hospitals.”
A Gold Coast Health spokesperson said the city was providing some of the best free health care in the world but like many health systems faced increased pressure.
“This is being driven by a growing and ageing population, the increasing burden of chronic conditions, workforce challenges, and declining private health cover,” the spokesperson said.
“Our health service experienced significant pressure in 2022 due to multiple COVID-19 waves and a severe flu season. Gold Coast Health sees around 3,280 outpatients a week.
“Last financial year, we conducted more than 892,000 specialist and non-specialist outpatient appointments.”
Mr Crisafulli says the latest figures are on the back of Queensland’s Auditor-General releasing a scathing report into the Government’s health record.
“It revealed more than 100,000 Queenslanders were waiting longer than clinically recommended to see a specialist doctor. The surge in the waiting list locally will mean many of them are Gold Coast residents,” he said.
Opposition health spokesperson Ros Bates said all Queenslanders deserved a world class health system no matter where they lived.
“As a nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how frustrating it is for patients desperate to see a specialist,” Ms Bates said.
“I know our doctors, nurses and allied health professionals are doing everything within their power, but they’re being let down by a broken system.
“The embattled Health Minister can’t be trusted to fix the health system. After three terms in office, the Palaszczuk Labor Government has destroyed the health system.
“The specialist waiting list has soared by 12 per cent because of the repeated failures from the State Government. Gold Coast patients deserve better.”
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