Golden age: More than 70 per cent of Bulletin readers say they have been forced to wait far too long for emergency treatment
MORE than 70 per cent of patients requiring emergency treatment say they have been made to wait too long at the Gold Coast’s hospitals. But health bosses have hit back.
Golden Age
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A MAJORITY of Gold Coasters say they have experienced extreme waits for medical care.
A Gold Coast Bulletin survey of 1200 readers revealed 71 per cent had experienced longer than acceptable wait times at the Gold Coast University Hospital emergency department.
When it came to elective surgery, 81 per cent said they were unhappy with the wait.
In the last financial year, Queensland Health says 170,000 people were treated at the Gold Coast University Hospital and Robina Hospital emergency departments.
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Of those, 76 per cent were treated within four hours of arriving.
At the GCUH, demand on the emergency department increased 6 per cent on the previous financial year.
Almost 5500 people are still waiting for elective surgery at the GCUH. Those listed for ear, nose and throat (ENT) treatment topped the list.
GCUH completed 30 per cent more elective ENT compared to the previous year. The average wait for surgery was 102 days in the last quarter.
Median wait times for eye and orthopaedic surgery extended beyond 60 days.
A Gold Coast Health spokesman said the hospital had experienced a 15 per cent increase in ENT surgical referrals in the past year.
“The major contributors for the increase in elective surgery on the Gold Coast are population growth, people living longer and the increasing prevalence of obesity and chronic disease like diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” the spokesman said.
Over 97 per cent of elective surgery patients had been treated within the recommended wait time.
“This is well above the national performance targets.”
Chair of Health Consumers Queensland, Mark Tucker-Evans said hospital wait times had always been a pressure point for consumers. However, Gold Coast hospitals compared well to other health districts in the state.
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“By and large we have had positive feedback from consumers on the Gold Coast,” Mr Tucker-Evans said. “I think people are always wanting the best services that they can get, and that is perfectly understandable.
“Elective surgery wait times are certainly a point where things could pick up across the board. The Gold Coast is one of the better areas performing from what we have heard.”
Mr Tucker-Evans said the long waiting lists for ear, nose and throat surgery was not unique to the Coast.
“It is one of the most in demand areas in the state. We put that down to a lack of specialists.”
Delays in diabetes treatment and pain management were also common as the population aged.
Gold Coast Health is the city’s largest employer with almost 9000 people in full-time equivalent roles across the public hospitals and 15 community health facilities.
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