Gold Coast University Hospital wait times increase with busy emergency department

A PATIENT remained on a stretcher at the Gold Coast University Hospital for more than four hours as the emergency department confronted record presentations.

Gold Coast University Hospital foyer — the hospital’s ED is one of the busiest in the nation. Photo: David Clark

A PATIENT remained on a stretcher at the Gold Coast University Hospital for more than four hours as the emergency department confronted record presentations.

The Gold Coast Bulletin has been told the Coast family was shocked as their loved one remained in a room with a waiting paramedic.

Health Minister Cameron Dick has responded by producing figures which show thousands of ED patients could be treated by GPs for sprains, splinters and even sunburn easing the client load.

Opposition health spokesman and Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek said he was approached by a family concerned by the extended stay on stretchers at the ED.

“The latest data shows Labor’s ramping failure continues to plague the Gold Coast University Hospital for a record eighth month,” Mr Langbroek told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

Opposition health spokesman John-Paul Langbroek is tracking the pressures on the ED at the Gold Coast University Hospital. — Photo Steve Pohlner

Ramping data for June at the University Hospital ED revealed almost a third of all patients were being ramped longer than the designated 30 minutes.

“One Gold Coast local told me a family member had been ramped on an ambulance stretcher for more than four hours recently whilst a paramedic sat with them waiting for admission,” Mr Langbroek said.

The June figures, released last Friday, show a 72 per cent of patients are off stretcher at the Coast University Hospital in 30 minutes, up slightly from 73 per cent in May. The State-wide figure is 90 per cent.

The Opposition contends the Government could not blame the recent bout of flu for the longer waiting times because the data had showed poor response times throughout the year.

Ramping times are increasing at the Robina Hospital. Pic by Richard Gosling

Mr Dick described the accusations by Mr Langbroek as “both false and offensive” to the hardworking medical staff.

While the number of most urgent cases has jumped nearly 120 per cent between 2013-14 and

2016-17, all Category One patients at the University Hospital’s ED were seen within two minutes.

More than 9500 people presented at Gold Coast Hospitals last year with non-urgent Category Five conditions such as splinters and sprains. About 85 had coughs, 136 suffered constipation and 120 presented with gout.

“Emergency departments are there for life-threatening emergencies, not to help with a stubbed toe or pharmacy scripts,” Mr Dick said.

“When the Newman-Nicholls Government was in power, their solution was to slash 90 nursing jobs at the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service.

“Since the Palaszczuk Government has been elected, we have employed an additional 47 ambulance officers, 124 doctors, 635 nurses and 148 allied health professionals.”