PUT ON NOTICE
HEALTH BOSSES TOLD TO FIX ED
HOSPITAL executives have been “put on notice” to fix the choking emergency department and ambulance ramping at Cairns Hospital within the next six months.
Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick (left) flew to Cairns yesterday for an urgent meeting with hospital bosses, union officials and the acting Queensland Ambulance Commissioner to put a stop to patients waiting hours to be admitted into the city’s burdened emergency department (ED).
Aged- care patients living at the hospital, record ED presentations and a lack of nursing staff have been blamed for the bed block.
While Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service chief executive Julie Hartley-Jones (right) did not face media yesterday, hospital board chairman Bob Norman was hopeful a planned $360,000 low-acuity response unit would ease pressure at the hospital.
The unit, which Mr Dick said would be implemented “as soon as possible”, will treat low-priority patients and provide alternative healthcare options by bypassing the ED.
Paramedic Neil Noble, who is also the spokesman for the United Voice union, said hospital bosses needed to be held accountable for the ramping “crisis” and claimed there were glaring flaws in the management of the hospital.
“The Minister has heard our voices ... This is a crisis,’’ Mr Noble said.
“We also have a commitment from him (Mr Dick) to put the health board on notice, but he has asked for us to give him time and give them time to fix these problems.”
Mr Noble said there needed to be an outcome within the next six months and he feared it was a matter of time until an ambulance was unable to respond and a patient died.
“This is about patient safety,’’ Mr Noble said.
“If all the ambulances are ramped at the hospital, who will respond to the next 000 emergency?”
Mr Dick said he did not want to put a time frame on repairing the overcrowded ED but warned Ms Hartley-Jones and Mr Norman needed to listen to frontline staff.
“The message of accountability was very clear,’’ Mr Dick said of yesterday’s forum.
“We need to do more, that’s why I’m here.’’
He said the hospital would also establish a new Patient Flow Unit following a meeting with doctors and management next week to track patients from admission to discharge.
“There’s no magic bullet in the healthcare system … it takes time to change things.
“I expect the leaders of the hospital and health service to listen to and work with staff.’’
Mr Dick said he would also put pressure on the Federal Government to open more aged-care beds and would ap- proach councils to free up land and offer discounts on headworks charges for new agedcare homes.
About 38 per cent of patients who present to Cairns Hospital arrive in ambulances, compared to an average off 30 per cent statewide.
It is estimated that 29 out off 100 patients could bypass thee hospital and be treated at GPs..
Krissie Bishop from the Queensland Nurses Union said the ED was also not ot staffed to full nursing capacity.y.