- 37,595 patients through Central Queensland hospital EDs in June quarter
- 1010 elective surgeries done in Central Queensland hospitals
- 6003 patients seen for an initial specialist outpatient appointment
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service hospitals had 37,595 patients come to emergency departments in the June 2023 quarter.
In Rockhampton, 13,327 people came through the Emergency Department from April to June, and in Gladstone there were 9,183 through the ED.
Patients are given a triage category according to their level of clinical need, with Category 1 the sickest or most seriously injured.
All Category 1 patients were seen within two minutes of arriving at hospital, and the average wait time across all five categories in the June quarter was just 16 minutes.
Despite high levels of demand, in the June quarter, 72% of patients in all Central Queensland EDs were seen within clinically recommended times.
CQ Health hospitals treated 1010 elective surgery patients in the June quarter, up from 929 in the previous quarter. There were 696 elective surgery procedures done in Rockhampton, and 271 in Gladstone.
Overall, 60% of patients received their elective surgery within the clinically recommended timeframe.
During the June quarter, 6003 patients were seen for an initial appointment at a specialist outpatient clinic in Central Queensland, up from 5759 in the previous quarter.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman:
“While we have seen some improvements, we know there is much more work to do.
“Our emergency departments managed a record number of presentations, more than 10,500 than the same quarter last year, and our patient off stretcher times remained steady, at 55 per cent.
“Despite the rapid population growth we’re experiencing, and despite being the busiest in the country, our ambulance service is doing incredible work to look after their communities.
“These improvements would not be possible without the hard work, dedication, and commitment to patient care from our health care workers, who I thank for their tireless efforts.
“I can assure Queenslanders that our $764 million Putting Patients First plan to keep Queenslanders out of hospital is bolstering our frontline health workforce and strengthening the Queensland Ambulance Service.
“It is delivering more beds and delivering the major hospital upgrades and expansions we need to provide the best health-care possible.
“The Palaszczuk Government is making the necessary investments to provide quality healthcare closer to home, for all Queenslanders.”
Quotes attributable to Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Dr Emma McCahon:
“The health service is focusing on improving the flow of patients through the ED, with different models of care introduced to stop people from needing to come to hospital.
“Our Mental Health Co-responder Program is a partnership with Queensland Ambulance Service that supports people in mental health crisis in their own homes, away from the busy environment of a hospital ED.
“We have also introduced a Respiratory Rapid Access Service that is doing great things for known patients with chronic conditions, helping them to keep out of hospital.
“I want to thank our hard-working CQ Health clinicians and support teams who work very hard every single day to provide great health care to their community.”
