THE Opposition has accused the state government of fostering a culture of fear among medical staff concerned about dropping standards of care at Queensland hospitals.
It comes after a Redland Hospital emergency doctor wrote a letter, published in The Courier-Mail, about the lack of specialist services like orthopaedics and urology at the hospital.
Emergency physician Michael Cameron said Redland Hospital provided first class emergency medical care but the difference began when a patient needed admission to hospital under a medical specialty.
Dr Cameron said staff at Redland – like all public hospitals – struggled to find space to put patients and, as was the case at other hospitals, patients were often kept in the hospital’s emergency department for days waiting for beds to become free.
However, at bigger hospitals like the Princess Alexandra, patients would get specialist care sooner because specialists were more frequently available.
“Will you go to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, a top level public hospital with all specialties on site and advanced imaging such as MRI available?” Dr Cameron said.
“Or will you choose the Redland Hospital, where we will see you as soon as we can and will try our best to help you?”
Opposition deputy leader Tim Mander said Dr Cameron’s public statement showed the level of desperation in Queensland's health system.
“They have obviously been trying to work within the system and they are not getting the responses they think patients deserve,” he said.
“This as I can see, is an act of desperation by Dr Cameron and other health professionals, pleading to the government to listen to them and provide the funds that are necessary."
Health Minister Steven Miles said Dr Cameron had not raised the issues with himself and Mr Miles was not aware of them being raised with the Health Department.
Mr Miles said the Redlands community should have confidence in the hospital and should go there in an emergency.
“I would also like to say to the hard working staff of the Redland Hospital that I don’t think those comments reflect their efforts,” he said.
“I know they go to work every single day determined to deliver the best possible care to the community.”
Mr Mander commended Dr Cameron for his courage but said he was concerned about repercussions.
“The Labor government has not got a good record of protecting whistleblowers,” Mr Mander said.
Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson said he had received numerous reports from nurses and other staff too scared to go public about growing pressures on staff and resources.
Their complaints were legitimised by Redland’s ramping times, which were the state’s worst, he said.
“Nurses and doctors, they are worried that with the future of their jobs when they come out in the open and talk about what is happening,” Mr Robinson said.
“Behind the scenes, doctors and nurses tell us that the problems are worse than what the government is admitting.”
Mr Miles said that emergency departments across the Metro South area faced challenges like the growing and ageing population and pressures from the collapse in bulk-billing services.
A Queensland Health spokesperson said the clinical workforce at Redland Hospital had increased by more than 60 nurses and 24 doctors in two years.
“On top of that, we’re delivering a raft of capital improvements including an expansion to its emergency department and an upgrade to the maternity unit to include a water birthing suite, bringing the total number of birthing suites to seven,” the spokesperson said.
“We’re also getting on with the new Redland Hospital Infrastructure Master Plan 2019, which includes an intensive care unit.
Dr Cameron said Redland Hospital struggled for space to put patients.
“They often wait for days in my ED for a bed in our hospital or another hospital,” he said.
“The same can be said of other EDs in Metro South. But at least if you are waiting in the same ED as the specialist attends, you will be likely to get your care sooner. That can be important.”
