More kids than ever head to ED

A RECORD 80 children a day were taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital emergency department last month.

The March influx contributed to the overload crisis at the city's biggest hospital – one of 10 in southeast Queensland the State Government admitted last month were at capacity after a 10 per cent spike in ED admissions.

Gold Coast Health figures showed 2600 kids showed up at the university hospital ED. The total number of patients jumped 6 per cent compared to March 2018.

Paediatric emergency staff specialist Dr Christa Bell said despite the influx the teams were able to cater to each patient and meet National Emergency Access Targets (NEAT).

“It would be an understatement to say we’ve been busy lately with staff working right around the clock to provide the best quality care we can for the Gold Coast’s youngest patients,” Dr Bell said.

Gold Coast Health said elective surgery performance was minimally affected with 99.8 per cent of patients seen within clinically recommended times.

“It is no mean feat and it’s one every staff member should be extremely proud of,” Dr bell said.

Director of Emergency Services Dr David Green said managing the highest number of paediatric presentations ever while still completing treatment of 80 per cent of those patients within a fourhour period, was testament to the agility of the ED team.

“As Australia’s busiest emergency department, we are constantly finding ways to manage patient flow in balance with our commitment to providing the best care possible to some of our sickest patients,” Dr Green said.

The State Government came in for heavy criticism during the capacity crisis.

A key nurse lobby group last month branded the government “incompetent” after it was revealed the Gold Coast’s two public hospitals have 500 fewer beds than the national average.

The Gold Coast University and Robina hospitals share 1000 beds between them, well down on other major cities in Australia.