Hospitals reassessing surgery lists as Queensland Covid-19 cases surge

Staff absences and a rising number of Covid patients has forced one state to act on what’s a priority in its hospital system.

Queenslanders booked in for non-urgent medical procedures may be getting a call that their hospital bed has been taken, as the Sunshine State battles its latest Covid-19 wave.

Coronavirus hospitalisations in Queensland are at their highest since February, with Acting Premier Steven Miles on Friday confirming 714 people were needing care.

This includes 17 people in intensive care.

With 40,191 people in the state infected with Covid, the highest since mid-May, Mr Miles said “all hospitals” were likely assessing their capacity to offer category 3 elective surgeries.

Daily Covid case numbers were at 5726 in Queensland on Frida. Picture: Karoly Arvai / various sources / AFP

However, Mr Miles said any rescheduling would be on a hospital-by-hospital basis as opposed to a statewide mandate and would not affect those needing urgent care.

“I just urge people that if they are contacted by their hospital and told that … less urgent planned care needs to be rescheduled it’s because doctors and nurses are working just as hard as they can to take care of more urgent cases,” Mr Miles said.

“Obviously, they endeavour to only reschedule that care which is least urgent that which is safest to reschedule.”

A Queensland Health spokeswoman confirmed potential localised changes to planned services including rescheduling surgery and using Telehealth consults to deliver care.

“All our hospital and Health Services continue to prioritise clinically safe care for patients who require emergency surgery,” the spokeswoman said.

There were another 13 Queensland lives lost to Covid in the 24 hours to Friday morning, with 1315 people in the state now having died with the illness since the start of the pandemic.

Acting Premier Steven Miles said those in need of urgent care would still be getting treatment. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Daily case numbers were at 5726 – down on 5980 new cases from Thursday – but the figure is still higher than other daily numbers in recent weeks.

Hospitalisations and case numbers are also elevated in NSW and Victoria.

Mr Miles said the number of people with Covid in Queensland as opposed to the flu had jumped significantly in recent days, with total Covid patients now outnumbering flu victims 20 to 1.

He urged Queenslanders to get their booster shots if eligible, with only two thirds of those eligible up to date.