Qld politics: Minister refuses to probe sedation, data manipulation claims

The state government has refused to launch an independent inquiry into allegations of shocking practices at Queensland hospitals.

Gladstone Hospital

The state government has refused to launch an independent inquiry into shocking allegations of data manipulation and unnecessary sedation of mental health patients in Queensland hospitals.

More than 100 nurses at Gladstone and Rockhampton hospitals blew the whistle on the dangerous tactics allegedly being employed to skew ramping figures and emergency ­department waiting times.

But Health Minister Tim Nicholls said there was no evidence backing the claims, as both he and Premier David Crisafulli ruled out an independent inquiry.

“I’ve asked the director-general (Dr David Rosengren) to look into that, and he is confident that there is no manipulation of data going on,” Mr Nicholls said.

“There’s no actual, credible number being put forward that someone says, ‘This is how they’re doing it, this is where you’re seeing the difference’.

“The opportunity for ­manipulation of data is very, very minimal. It’s tracked at every stage,” he said.

Pushed on whether the serious claims of mental health patients being sedated as they waited to be transferred from EDs to wards warranted an independent investigation, Mr Nicholls said it was sometimes necessary in the absence of physical restraints.

“There are security people who are there who can assist, but often the sedation method is used to calm people down so that the doctors can provide meaningful treatment, and so that they can be also treated and moved to the appropriate clinical care that they need,” he said.

It comes after explosive claims by NPAQ president Kara Thomas that mental health patients in Rockhampton and Gladstone were being sedated and “stashed in short stay to avoid KPI breaches caused by ongoing bedblock.”

“If the government doesn’t act immediately, someone is going to die,” she said.

Mr Crisafulli encouraged health workers to report similar claims.

“Anyone who’s got allegations like that, we really want them to put that ­forward,” he said.

Originally published as Qld politics: Minister refuses to probe sedation, data manipulation claims