Perrett demands State Government plans for new Gympie Hospital
With issues with the Children’s Ward, ambulance ramping, emergency department, the contraction of services in obstetrics, gynaecology and orthopaedics, it’s time the State Government starts seriously planning for a new Gympie Hospital, MP Tony Perrett says.
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Gympie MP Tony Perrett has called on the State Government to commit to a new Gympie Hospital after the release of a report that he says “clearly identifies” that the existing public hospital can no longer provide the level of service the region “deserves”.
“The Government must commit to a process to deliver a new hospital for Gympie,” Mr Perrett said.
“The (just released) Master Clinical Services Plan clearly identifies that the Gympie hospital cannot provide the level of service this community deserves. We need to start planning for a new one.
“The evidence is overwhelming and backs up what I’m hearing daily directly from constituents. The Gympie hospital is failing us.”
Mr Perrett said the 153-year-old public hospital had serviced the community for a long time but its time has come.
“It’s all very well to have a plan but the Government needs to commit to a new hospital now,” Mr Perrett said. “This report highlights everything that I’ve been saying for the last six years. Right across the board services have been under stress and patients are transferred to the Sunshine Coast. In some cases, services are removed altogether.
“No one finds out until they notice a change in what’s provided, or a loss of services.
“There are issues in the paediatric ward, ambulance ramping, emergency department, the contraction of services obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics.”
Mr Perrett said Cooloola Coast residents were forced to travel long distances for many basic health care treatments that are available in regions with far smaller populations.
“The hospital is on a constrained site at the top of a hill, and parking requires a steep uphill trek for patients and visitors,” he said.
“The hospital is old, fragmented, and services are spread across multiple aged buildings.
“A Queensland Audit Office Report found that the hospital is not meeting any of its treatment time targets.
“Last month, the Auditor General found that Gympie hospital has not met clinical recommended targets for the emergency department and ambulance ramping.
“These are the front-line services, often the first experience when you go to hospital.
“In the June quarter ambulance ramping was 29% which is an increase of 9.3% over the same period last year.”
Mr Perrett said the QAO said ambulance ramping was worsening and “this target has not been met at the statewide level in the past seven years.”
This would be unacceptable in any other region, he said.
“The statistics in this report are a damning indictment that the needs of this region are not being met.
“It highlights that the population is vulnerable with significant socio-economic disadvantage and higher rates of chronic disease and hospitalisation, and risk factors that lead to poorer health.
“Our region has the highest rates of diabetes; mental and behavioral problems; heart, stroke, and vascular disease; asthma; chronic pulmonary disease; arthritis; and osteoporosis.
“This report was due 20 months ago and the evidence is clear why it was delayed.
“The problems haven’t gone away – they have increased.
“Gympie is experiencing high growth and the report notes that COVID has accelerated growth as more people move to the regions.
“The hospital’s problems are not the fault of Covid 19 as they’ve have been occurring long before the last year.
“A commitment to a new Gympie hospital cannot be put on the backburner.”
A response has been sought from the minister’s office.
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