The full extent of the Queensland Health Crisis has been revealed with disturbing data showing patients are waiting eight hours in the back of an ambulance at hospitals.
The shocking figures from August 2020 to January this year shows it’s a major problem in urgent need of repair at hospitals including Princess Alexandra, Prince Charles Hospital, QEII, Mater Public, Redlands and Ipswich Hospitals.
On two consecutive months a patients waited eight hours to bee seen at Logan Hospital whilst on the Gold Coast, patients waited longer than seven hours every month for half a year.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the new data obtained by a parliamentary Question on Notice is further evidence that the State Government was losing control of Queensland Health.
“Behind these numbers are Queenslanders who have called triple zero needing urgent help,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Instead, they’re left waiting on a ramp, in a corridor or a hallway for hours.
“Paramedics are at breaking point waiting at the end of a hospital ramp and Queenslanders are petrified waiting at the end of a phone line. They are all victims of a State Government that can’t deliver essential services.
“The Premier has stopped listening in her third term.
“The State Government has done nothing to expand our public health system in line with Queensland’s growing population.
“All Queenslanders deserve a world class health system no matter where they live.”
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said the doctors, nurses and paramedics on the frontline were doing all they can.
“They’re exhausted, and they’ve told us they’re fed up,” Ms Bates said.
“These dedicated men and women are the ones keeping the health system on track and we can’t thank them enough.
“As a nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how stressful it can be.
“We simply don’t have enough hospital beds in Queensland.
“When there’s not enough beds at the hospital, the ambulance doesn’t have anywhere to offload their patient.
The Queensland Health crisis is real, and this problem won’t go away because the government isn’t listening and isn’t taking any action.”
