Patients across South-East Queensland are being forced to wait up to eight hours in the back of an ambulance before getting a hospital bed, in another damning sign the State Government isn’t fixing the Queensland Health crisis.
Alarming new health figures have exposed the shocking state of ambulance ramping wait times, with major hospitals in Brisbane and the Gold Coast among the worst in the state.
The health figures revealed patients experienced:
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said it’s further proof the Queensland Health crisis is real.
“This is a dire situation, but the State Government isn’t listening,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Queenslanders lives are on the line.
“The consequences of ramping are affecting Queenslanders who desperately need help – we’ve seen the proof of that in the last few days.
“Paramedics didn’t sign up to sit at an ambulance ramp for an entire shift, while other triple zero calls go unanswered.
“The lack of urgency, compassion and understanding from the Premier and Health Minister shows how out of touch they have become.
“In its third term, the State Government has given up on listening to Queenslanders.
“The LNP has put solutions on the table including more beds, better triaging, releasing data in real-time and giving power back to the frontline staff to make better decisions to improve patient care.”
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said the new health figures are shocking.
“These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet,” Ms Bates said.
“This is your grandparent with a broken hip, or your parent with chest pain.
“Queensland has the worst ambulance ramping in the country, people are dying on the ramps or in the arms of loved ones waiting for an ambulance. Hospital bypass is back and that should concern us all.
“As a nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how stressful it is for my colleagues on the frontline.
“They don’t want to sit in the back of an ambulance for eight hours.
“They want to help Queenslanders in their hour of need.
“Queenslanders are dying on the ramp and the Health Minister is showing no compassion or ability to fix the Queensland Health Crisis."
