EDs take hit to the heart

THE Gold Coast’s public emergency departments are facing a spike in serious admissions as the city’s hospitals battle with the second worst record in the state for walkouts.

Queensland Health data for March shows 850 people walked out from EDs at the Gold Coast University and Robina hospitals. Only Metro North facilities in Brisbane, with 946, were higher.

Hospital sources said the Robina ED was stressed at the weekend after the presentation of serious cardiac cases rather than patients presenting with typical flu symptoms.

Snapshot data provided by the Queensland Ambulance Service show at least six ambulances were at the Robina ED throughout the 3.30pm to 5.30pm peak rush.

However, the Gold Coast Health Service said Robina was never in a code yellow where it lacked beds or at any high stage of crisis management.

The QAS said the average lost time for patients on a stretcher longer than 30 minutes was 16 minutes for its teams.

A Gold Coast Health spokesman said the emergency departments reported 15,491 presentations last month – a six per cent increase on March 2018 and well in excess of local population growth.

“This increase in presentations also included a 10 per cent spike in our most urgent category of patients – Category 1 – whose critical needs create substantial additional clinical demand,” the spokesperson said.

“Despite this significant overall increase, we continued to see 100 per cent of our most urgent patients within their clinically recommended waiting time, and the majority of our patients were either admitted or discharged from our emergency departments within the recommended time of four hours.”

The spokesperson said no patient in the most urgent category left the EDs without being treated.

“Only 15 – one per cent – in the second most urgent category did not wait. Of all presentations, five per cent did not wait for treatment.”

LNP health spokesperson Ros Bates said Labor’s health crisis was affecting patients across the whole state.

“Emergency departments are overcrowded, ambulance ramping has skyrocketed and surgery waiting times are blowing out, that’s the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s record,” she said.

Health Minister Dr Steven Miles said the majority of patients were admitted or discharged from emergency departments within four hours.

“Just last month the state’s emergency physicians saw a total of 178,573 presentations, which is an extra 18,056 people than the same time last year. That’s a demand increase of almost 6 per cent – or the equivalent of Mt Isa’s population,” he said. “Despite this, 99 per cent of the sickest patients were seen within two minutes of reaching hospital.”

THIS INCREASE IN PRESENTATIONS INCLUDED A 10 PER CENT SPIKE IN OUR MOST URGENT CATEGORY OF PATIENTS GOLD COAST HEALTH