QUEENSLAND’S biggest hospital has been forced to scale back surgeries as it remains at risk of losing its Anaesthetic Training Accreditation.

The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists raised several concerns after visiting the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane and identified:

· inadequate supervision
· excessive roster changes
· inadequate clinical support time
· staffing numbers do not meet guidelines

The hospital has been left with no choice but to slash the number of patients being operated on to levels less than before the COVID wave, in a bid to keep its accreditation.

A leaked email sent to senior staff at the PA Hospital said, “approximately 1,300 people who are waiting on our surgery lists and have been waiting longer than clinically recommended.”

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the Health Minister’s performance in Question Time today was a clear example she was not aware of the developments at the PA Hospital.

“The Minister didn’t know that senior doctors at the hospital were apologising to colleagues and patients as a result of this failure,” Mr Crisafulli said.

‘This is yet another major setback for the public health system in the middle of the Queensland Health Crisis.

“The number of operations at the PA Hospital has been cut and this will have a domino effect for other hospitals and many more patients.

“Many people waiting for elective surgery have endured enough already – some have had their surgeries cancelled a number of times.

“To learn that the number of surgeries at the PA has been slashed will be devastating to those who’ve already waited longer than they should.

“If the PA loses its accreditation to train anaesthetists, Queensland hospitals could be at risk of not having enough of these specialists.

“If that happens it won’t just affect one hospital; it’ll affect the entire state.”

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said it was a sobering situation at one of Queensland’s flagship hospitals.

“Queensland patients are the ones who lose,” Ms Bates said.

“At a time when the elective surgery waitlist has soared, even more Queenslanders now face longer delays.

“1,300 patients have already fallen through the cracks at the PA Hospital.

“This is another sad and sorry chapter of the Queensland Health Crisis.

“Yvette D’Ath’s is losing the support of her colleagues and Queenslanders no longer trust her to fix the Queensland Health Crisis.

“She must go.”