Toowoomba and Ipswich patients abandoned in their hour of need

Explosive figures reveal for the first time ambulance ramping is at crisis levels in Ipswich with 1 in 2 patients now left waiting on ramps, in hallways or along corridors.

Shockingly, ambulance ramping has increased 10% in Ipswich in the past year while in Toowoomba a quarter of all patients are routinely stuck on ramps.

The figures also show:

• Nearly half of all patients at Ipswich Hospital’s emergency department aren’t being seen on time and in Toowoomba it’s 1 in 3.
• More than 40% of all patients waiting for specialist surgery aren’t being seen on time in Ipswich and another 10% in Toowoomba are still waiting.
• On the elective surgery waiting list almost 10% of patients are not being seen on time in Toowoomba and in Ipswich it’s 6 per cent.

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the figures proved Queensland Health was in crisis.

“These shocking figures show the extent of the Queensland Health Crisis right across the state,” he said.

“Across Queensland, more than 1 in 3 patients are routinely stuck in ambulances outside hospitals, almost 250,000 Queenslanders are on the waiting list for the waiting list and a quarter of patients in emergency departments aren’t seen on time.

“It shows the State Government and the Health Minister aren’t listening to staff and patients on how to fix the Queensland Health crisis.

“Queenslanders deserve so much better than this.”

Shadow Health Minister and registered nurse Ros Bates said Queenslanders are dying in the arms of loved ones while waiting for an ambulance.

“For the Health Minister to say it is acceptable for Queenslanders to be waiting hours for an ambulance to turn up just shows how far she is out of her depth,” she said.

“Paramedics are crying out for help and have had to come up with their own solutions to try and put band aids on a system crumbling before our eyes.

“Meanwhile, thousands of patients in Ipswich can’t even get in the door to see a specialist.

“This is heaping more pressure on our health system and hardworking health workers who are straining under skyrocketing ambulance ramping and overcrowding in emergency departments.

“They’ve had enough of this Minister ignoring them, she must listen and she must act.”

Mr Crisafulli said our dedicated doctors, nurses and paramedics are heroes holding our hospitals together during the Queensland Health Crisis.

“The frontline staff want to take control back from Queensland Health, they want better resources, they want data shared in real time, they want to drive cultural change so that an ambulance doesn’t have to wait at the end of a ramp,” he said.

“These are just some of the solutions the LNP has put forward to heal the Queensland Health Crisis.

“Rather than making excuses, the Premier must finally start listening and start finding solutions.”