New figures show half of Gold Coast ED patients are not seen in in clinnically reccomended times
IF you had to wait at the Gold Coast’s busiest emergency room over Christmas, here’s why. New figures reveal just how under pressure our doctors and nurses are.
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NEARLY half of all Gold Coasters seeking emergency treatment at the city’s under-pressure public hospital are not being seen within recommended times.
Shock figures show the number of patients at the Gold Coast University Hospital’s emergency department who were not seen within set times had jumped to 47 per cent in December, up from 45 per cent in November.
Comparatively the statewide number of patients waiting longer than recommended was 30 per cent.
More than 9250 attended the emergency department in December, a 4 per cent overall rise, with the bulk coming from those classed as “category 4” who must be seen within an hour, according to clinical recommendations.
However, 100 per cent of the 184 patients requiring critical and immediate care were seen within two minutes of arrival.
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The spike has bolstered calls for an urgent restructuring of the public health system to cut waiting times and improve patient care. It has also caused concern with the Commonwealth Games starting in early April.
Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union secretary Beth Mohle said changes to the public healthcare system as a whole were needed to reduce waiting times.
“There needs to be a greater focus on primary care because the pressure on the emergency departments is also now impacting on things like discharge practices from hospitals, which need to be more efficient and effective,” she said.
“Yes there are challenges but there are so many creative solutions to these issues, but we will need to work together on this.
“The health community, state and federal governments, doctors, nurses and allied health must do this together.”
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The Queensland Health figures show 29 per cent of patients were not transferred off ambulance stretchers within 30 minutes of arrival at the hospital.
The overall median wait for treatment was 29 minutes, with those classed as having less critical issues forced to wait nearly 40 minutes.
Acting Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said the number of people presenting at hospital emergency rooms across the state was up 9 per cent in December.
“Despite these demand challenges, a record number of people are receiving treatment within clinically recommended time frames in Queensland,” she said.
“A total of 99 per cent of the most critically ill patients (Category 1) are seen within two minutes of arriving at our emergency departments and more than 75 per cent of all presentations were completed within four hours — this compares favourably with other states and territories.
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“Category 2 and 3 patients have more complex conditions and it often takes more time to treat them, meaning patients with less urgent conditions sometimes have to wait longer to be seen.”
But her response was slammed by Mudgeeraba MP and former nurse Ros Bates, who said better management was needed for the hospital.
“It is something which starts at the front door and ends there too – you need to make sure people can get into the hospital and get to a bed or theatre,” she said.
“It is about improving bed management and planning and we need to make sure nurses and doctors have the resources they need.”
During last year’s state election, the Palaszczuk Government announced plans to recruit an extra 300 nurses on the Gold Coast by 2021.
Queensland Health also took over the former Gold Coast Surgical Hospital at Varsity Lakes in October to reduce surgical waiting times.
Gold Coast Medical Association president Dr Sonu Haikerwal said a growing population was putting the city’s emergency departments under strain.
“The hospital has a huge catchment area and is under pressure to provide for people from the south through to the northern growth corridor,” she said.
‘The demand is huge and these figures are a reflection of that.
“The solution must be to look at improvements to primary care and preventive issues such as greater GP care so people do not have to go to the emergency department for issues which could be seen to by general practitioners.”
Opposition leader Deb Frecklington said nurses and doctors needed more assistance to improve wait times.
“The health budget increased by 8.5 per cent last year and yet patient numbers increased by only 5 per cent,’’ she said in a statement.
“Wait times should be dramatically improving.”
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