Staff boost for stressed hospitals
Coast Health forked out an unbudgeted $36 million for extra frontline staff this financial year to meet demand on the stressed public hospital system.
The State Budget revealed 260 extra staff had to be hired due to record patient demand.
Frontline workers have previously told the Bulletin they were asked to work double shifts and to come in on their rostered days off, yet no extra beds or hospital extensions had been committed by the State Government to deal with this increased capacity.
Yesterday’s Budget put the unexpected increase between last year’s estimated and actual budgets down to “additional frontline staff required to service the growth in demand for healthcare services, along with annual enterprise bargaining increments”.
To help ease the pressure, Treasurer Jackie Trad yesterday increased Gold Coast Health’s budget by $81 million to $1.575 billion.
The boost will also mean an extra 62 full-time positions, bringing the total number of full-time-equivalent staff to 8385.
In the past four years, 874 full-time-equivalent nursing roles and 214 doctors have been added to Gold Coast Health.
The State Government’s Building Better Hospitals commitment to address public hospital capacity did not include further expansions for the Gold Coast University Hospital.
However, an expansion of Logan Hospital and the addition of 206 beds is anticipated to ease the burden on residents in the north of the Gold Coast.
Health and Ambulance Minister Steven Miles said the Budget was a record for the Coast and part of a record $19.2 billion state-wide investment in health.
The Minister’s office told the Bulletin that additional operational funding will cover expanded capacity and there will “be a more specific announcement throughout the financial year”.
“We’re employing more doctors, nurses and allied health staff than ever before. In fact, this year’s Budget will see over 2630 more staff across Queensland,” Mr Miles said.
“This Budget shows our commitment to providing word-class healthcare to all Queenslanders, no matter where they live.”
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said Gold Coast health services had missed out.
“Our two major hospitals are at breaking point and yet there is no money for extra beds,” Ms Bates said.