Ambos’ distress call
AMBULANCES have been struggling to attend emergencies due to a “diabolical” situation at Cairns Hospital that paramedics claim is putting lives at risk.
Medical dispatchers have spoken out about the impact the unprecedented rise in the number of people heading to the hospital’s emergency department has had on local Queensland Ambulance Service personnel.
Up to 25 per cent more patients have been seeking treatment at the hospital each day, since the start of last month.
Cairns emergency medical dispatcher Michelle Mantgaris said the Cairns Operations Centre was struggling to assign crews to attend emergencies during peak periods.
“There are times when we have members of the community on the line with serious emergencies and we struggle to assign ambulance units to help these people while they’re queued up outside the ED with patients still on board waiting for admission,” she said.
“Ramping is very distressing and it’s a lot to endure, especially when you know it wouldn’t be this way if the ED and other departments of Cairns Hospital were adequately funded.”
She said the problem had grown worse, particularly in the past year.
“It’s getting to the point where lives are being put at risk because ambulances can’t attend emergencies as quickly as they could,” she said.
To respond to the current peak demand, the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service has increased staffing numbers, including the number of permanent nursing staff for the emergency department.
The State Government had also announced an extra $1 million capital funding for extra emergency department beds.
United Voice Queensland secretary Gary Bullock said more paramedics on the road would improve public safety.
“We’re calling on the State Government to fund 250 extra positions across the state to make sure ambulance officers can do their job of swiftly attending to Queenslanders in need,” he said.
“The situation in Cairns is diabolical.”