THE highest level of capacity emergency, Tier 3, was declared at Queensland Hospitals more than 150 times in just three months, new Queensland Health data has revealed.

In a clear sign the Queensland Health Crisis continues to deepen, from April to June this year 22 hospitals reached “maximum capacity” on 156 occasions.

That’s 12 Tier 3 declarations every week.

When a hospital is escalated to Tier 3, nearly every bed is occupied and the hospital struggles to admit any new patients, leaving Queenslanders ramped in ambulances or left to be transferred to other hospitals.

On average, hospitals spent 38 hours at capacity each time a Tier 3 declaration was made in the June quarter this year.

Shadow Minister for Health and Registered Nurse Ros Bates said every Tier 3 Escalation was a may-day call from a hospital on red-alert, struggling from Labor’s bed shortages.

“Tier 3 declarations are a damning indictment of the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s long-term failure to resource and manage our Hospitals,” Ms Bates said.

“To discover Queensland Hospitals are operating at emergency levels so frequently will send shivers down the spine of every Queenslander.

“These numbers are scary for anyone who relies on the public health system.

“Queenslanders deserve to know when they need medical treatment they can access it at their local hospital and won’t be delayed or turned away because every bed is full.

“Labor’s failure to plan for enough beds ahead of population growth has delivered us the Queensland Health Crisis.”

“It’s time the Health Minister and her chaotic Labor Government take responsibility and finally heal the Queensland Health Crisis.

“Today the LNP is calling on Minister Fentiman to release the number of ‘Code Yellow’ Tier 2 escalations as well as the complete detail for every Tier 3 escalation, as was previously the case.

“For all her faults, Queenslanders used to get more open and detailed information from Yvette D’Ath, Shannon Fentiman has put a stop to that.

“Now all Queenslanders get are headline numbers because Fentiman only cares about how she looks in the media instead of actually healing the Queensland Health Crisis.

“For too long the chaos and crisis of this Labor Government has stood in the way of Queenslanders receiving the world-class healthcare they deserve.

“This is not the fault of our hardworking doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, they are doing the best they can with a system broken by this Labor Government.

“Queensland’s hospitals are flat-lining and urgently need life-support but unfortunately Labor is out of answers for the crisis they’ve created.

“The LNP has put health solutions on the table to heal the Queensland Health Crisis including more resources, better triaging, releasing data in real-time and putting doctors and nurses back in charge to improve patient care.”