ALMOST half of patients admitted to Redland Hospital’s emergency department are waiting too long to be seen, according to Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates.
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Ms Bates said only 53.5 per cent of the hospital’s ED patients were attended to within clinically recommended times in August, meaning 46.5 per cent were not.
Paramedics were also waiting too long, with only 58 per cent of patients transferred off stretchers within 30 minutes.
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Ms Bates said Redland Hospital’s poor performance showed Health Minister Steven Miles should to be sacked.
“Under Annastacia Palaszczuk ambulance ramping is increasing and our emergency departments are overcrowded, which is impacting on patient care,” she said.
“Our hard working nurses, doctors and paramedics are doing a great job but they are struggling to cope.
“As a nurse, I understand our hospitals shouldn’t be like war zones, they are places to treat the sick and injured.”
The August data reveals a total of just 51.3 per cent of category 2 patients were seen on time, 46.5 per cent of category 3, 62.4 per cent of category 4 and 81.2 per cent of category 5, the least urgent cases.
But nearly every category 1 patient – 95.3 per cent of those with the most urgent needs – were seen within recommended times.
A Metro South Health spokeswoman – who responded on behalf of Health Minister Steven Miles – said winter bed pressures had played a significant role.
“In August, Redland Hospital had 4577 ED presentations. Over 2200 of these were category 3, which is our highest area of demand at Redland,” she said.
“There continued to be a dramatically high number of category 1 and 2 presentations, which represented an increase of 52 per cent and 25 per cent respectively on last year’s August data.”
“Our ED eagle nurses have a twenty-four seven birds eye view of ED presentations and the tools to maximise patient flow within that space.”
The spokeswoman said patient off-stretcher statistics were reflective of the high bed occupancy rates throughout winter, but these had improved by three per cent compared to last year.
A $1.73 million upgrade to Redland Hospital to expand the ED and deliver an additional birthing suite in the maternity unit was being planned, she said.
