Queensland has recorded its worst ambulance ramping rate in history at 45.5%, in a shocking new development in the Queensland Health Crisis.
The unprecedented figure was revealed in the March 2024 quarterly data, which was finally released by embattled Health Minister Shannon Fentiman following a significant campaign by the LNP.
Shadow Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Ros Bates said the Palaszczuk-Miles Labor Government was in chaos and crisis.
“Make no mistake how serious this is. Queenslanders have died on the ambulance ramp because this government has failed to properly resource the health system.
“How many times did Shannon Fenitman tell a Queensland patient she’d improve ambulance ramping?
“It's either a lie or complete incompetence – either way Queenslanders are worse off under Shannon Fentiman.
“Shannon Fentiman has done irreparable damage to Queensland Health,” Ms Bates said.
“Shannon Fentiman is officially the worst Health Minister in Queensland history. No Health Minister has ever recorded a ramping figure this bad.”
When Labor came to office in 2015 ambulance ramping was at 15%.
It’s now more than tripled to a new record high after a decade of Labor.
Shannon Fentiman boasted about her $764m plan to fix ramping a year ago.
“Only a Labor Government and someone like Shannon Fentiman could spend three quarters of a billion dollars and make ramping worse,” Ms Bates said.
“Queenslanders no longer trust Shannon Fentiman to heal the health crisis.
“This is a catastrophic figure for Queensland and it’s a shameful new low in our history.
“This is the result of a decade-old State Labor Government that was no longer listening to Queenslanders and they’re certainly not listening to the staff on the frontline of Queensland’s besieged hospitals.
“While more patients were ramped than ever before, Shannon Fentiman’s Labor mates in Canberra slashed health funding in Queensland by more than $52 million in the Federal Budget.
“Labor has given up on Queensland.
“As a registered nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how frustrating it is for patients and paramedics who are left waiting at the end of a ramp longer than the clinically recommended time of 30 minutes.
“Labor created the Queensland Health Crisis and Shannon Fentiman promised it would get better, but she’s failed spectacularly.
“This record ramping rate of 45.5% isn’t the fault of our hard-working doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals.
“Queensland has world-class clinicians and paramedics that have been let down by a decade old Palaszczuk-Miles Government that hasn’t properly planned or resourced our hospitals.
“The LNP has put solutions on the table to help heal the Queensland Health Crisis, including better resources, better triaging, sharing data in real-time and putting doctors and nurses back in charge to improve patient care.
“Only the LNP has the right priorities for Queensland’s future and that includes easier access to health services.
“If elected, a Crisafulli LNP Government will release real-time health data within 100 days.
“My message to my frontline colleagues is simple. We thank you, we respect you and we value what you do.
