105min wait time: Massive controversial satellite hospital delays revealed
Real-time health data has revealed patients are waiting significantly longer for treatment at the state’s controversial satellite hospitals than at emergency wards in real hospitals.
QLD News
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Patients are waiting significantly longer for treatment at the state’s controversial satellite hospitals than at emergency wards in real hospitals, new real-time health data shows.
The Crisafulli government on Sunday delivered on an election commitment to publish live data showing wait times at Queensland hospitals, unveiling its “Open Hospitals” website.
Patients can check the median wait times, number of patients waiting, and number of treatment spaces at 25 health facilities – with the data updated every 15 to 30 minutes.
At 11.30am on Sunday, the website showed the Redlands Satellite Hospital had a 39-minute median waiting time, while the nearby Redland Hospital had an 11-minute wait, and Logan Hospital had a 14-minute wait.
By 1.15pm the Redlands Satellite Hospital had spiked to a median wait time of 105 minutes, while Redland Hospital dipped to just seven minutes.
At 11.30am, the Eight Mile Plains Satellite Hospital had a 67-minute median waiting time, while the QEII Jubilee Hospital was at 18 minutes.
The publication of real-time hospital performance data was one of the LNP’s election promises, made in a bid to improve transparency and ease emergency department pressures. Premier David Crisafulli pledged to publish the data within 100 days of being elected – a time frame that ends this coming weekend.
Health and Ambulance Services Minister Tim Nicholls said the real-time data would be valuable to Queenslanders and the state’s health system.
“We are able to provide real-time data, and we’re doing it because it will enable us to direct resources and people to the places that need it most,” Mr Nicholls said.
“It will provide information and assistance to GPs and other clinicians about what is going on in our emergency departments and in our hospitals in real time.
“It will not require additional work or input from doctors or nurses.”
Mr Nicholls said the portal would not be a “silver bullet” for the state’s health system.
“We never promised it would be a silver bullet,” Mr Nicholls stressed.
“It’s about openness, about transparency, about providing information to consumers and about providing guidance as to where we need to direct resources to make sure that we start fixing up the health crisis that was bequeathed to us by Labor.”
Opposition health spokesman Mark Bailey slammed the LNP’s release of real-time hospital data, stating the government’s “big-ticket policy” to address health system pressures had “more disclaimers than a midday infomercial”.
“If the LNP was serious about addressing pressures on the health system, reducing ambulance ramping, and improving emergency wait times and patient care, this government would commit to building new infrastructure and expanding the workforce,” Mr Bailey said.
“Instead, all we have seen are cuts to transfer initiative nurses in Emergency Departments, the axing of the workforce attraction scheme, cutting the Townsville Hospital expansion and slashing nurse-led clinic hours.”
BEST MEDIAN WAIT TIMES
1. Redland Hospital – 7 minutes
2. Logan Hospital – 12 minutes
3. Caboolture Hospital – 13 minutes
4. Princess Alexandra Hospital – 14 minutes
5. Royal Brisbane and Women’s – 16 minutes
WORST MEDIAN WAIT TIMES
1. Redlands Satellite Hospital – 105 minutes
2. Eight Mile Plains Satellite Hospital – 48 minutes
3. QEII Jubilee Hospital – 36 minutes
4. Queensland Children’s Hospital – 30 minutes
5. Caboolture Satellite Hospital – 29 minutes
Originally published as 105min wait time: Massive controversial satellite hospital delays revealed
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