ICU surge questions
THE readiness of North Queensland’s intensive care units for a surge in Covid-19 cases has been called into question after the release of startling ICU figures.
Despite battling a pandemic and knowing the healthcare system would be pushed to the limit when the state inevitably reopened, the Queensland government revealed in a parliamentary question notice it had funded an additional six new ICU beds over the past two years, statewide.
Townsville HHS has 14 ICU beds, while recruitment has begun for specialist nursing and medical staff to expand Townsville University Hospital’s ICU bed capacity from 14 to 16.
On Sunday, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli (pictured) questioned what the state government had done to prepare for a major Covid outbreak.
“Queenslanders rightly expect a whole lot better than six beds in two years. The state government needs to be open and transparent with Queenslanders about our health system and tell us what the path out of the pandemic looks like,” Mr Crisafulli said.
Shadow health spokeswoman Ros Bates said the Treasurer had cut a billion dollars from the health budget, which could have been spent on a new hospital, more nurses, or more ICU beds. A Queensland Health spokeswoman said ICU bed capacity was based on point-in-time funded and staffed bed counts rather
than physical bed counts. She said Queensland Health had been preparing for the future, regularly looking for ways to adjust its workforce strategies and develop modelling based on demand, staff requirements and training.
“Queenslanders can be confident our funded and staffed ICU bed capacity is appropriate for what is required throughout the year. If we were to be impacted by a surge in Covid-19 patients then we have the ability to scale up our capacity,” the spokeswoman said. “We have spent the last 18 months preparing for the impact Covid-19 will have on our public health system, including regularly liaising with our counterparts in other jurisdictions across Australia.
“Our ICU bed capacity across the state can expand to 570 beds.”
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’ath said a number of surge ICU beds were stood up in 2020 as part of the Covid-19 response, which reverted to business-as-usual levels in 2021.