Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman rebuffs LNP claims patients had to urinate in bottles

‘Probably a little peed’: Minister rejects opposition claims that waiting emergency patients were forced to urinate in public.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has rejected claims patients had been forced to urinate in bottles in public at Gold Coast University Hospital. Above, a container of the vitamin drink Berocca which came into the dispute in state parliament.

Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has rebuffed whistleblower and opposition and claims that patients at one of the state’s busiest emergency departments were forced to urinate into bottles to relieve themselves because staff were too busy to escort them to a toilet.

Liberal National Party health spokeswoman Ros Bates detailed “shocking and disturbing” scenes at Gold University Hospital to parliament, after health staff told her patients had been left waiting for hours on trolleys in hallways on Monday afternoon.

“So chaotic was the situation this whistleblower said that men were forced to pass urine in bottles in full view of the entire triage area,” she said.

“That is totally unacceptable and a degrading experience for all involved.”

State parliament descended into a farcical debate on Thursday about whether the patients had urinated into bottles, or whether they were filled with the yellow-coloured vitamin drink Berocca.

Ms Fentiman said hospital staff had reviewed CCTV footage and there was “not a shred of evidence” to back up Ms Bates’ allegations.

“I have been busting today to give this update to the member for Mudgeeraba, and I think she would probably be a little peed off about what I have to say,” she said.

“Perhaps the member should learn to bottle it up and maybe check her facts before coming into parliament.

“ED staff regularly drink electrolyte drinks whilst they’re on shift and there are bottles of Berocca that are kept on the ED counter,” Ms Fentiman said, tabling a photo of a Berocca drink.

In a fiery exchange, Ms Bates said: “Paramedics have already sent me that photo, it’s the wrong area [of the hospital], you fool.”

“It’s not a bottle of Berocca and you are just after whistleblowers,” she said.

Speaker Curtis Pitt then booted Ms Bates from parliament for the rest of the day.

Ms Fentiman is under increasing pressure over the Labor government’s failure to address ramping – when ambulances are forced to queue outside hospitals because of capacity issues.

Public emergency departments across the state are often overwhelmed because there are not enough free beds in other parts of the hospital to admit patients.

Ms Fentiman last week announced a $20m package to hire more triage nurses, improve after-hours and weekend access to X-rays and appoint medical commanders to manage patient flow after two high-profile deaths linked to the ramping crisis.

Cath Groom was found dead on the morning of her 52nd birthday after suffering a suspected heart attack hours after she tried to call an ambulance for help.

Her death came days after Queensland grandfather Wayne Irving, 67, died following a three-hour wait in an ambulance outside an Ipswich hospital.