Shocking new figures reveal the extraordinary amount of time ambulance crews waste sitting idle on hospital ramps every day due to the Queensland Health Crisis.
Official State Government figures show Queensland is losing on average 36 full ambulance shifts (10 hours/shift) every single day.
Last year the number of lost hours by paramedics stuck on ramps soared to 130,000 hours.
The shocking figures are contained in secret documents that the State Government did not want Queenslanders to see.
Hospitals in Brisbane’s south-east were the most overwhelmed in the state with crews struggling to offload patients at hospitals including the PA, QEII, at Logan and Redlands.
Ambulance crews in the Metro South region lost more than 35,000 hours last year stuck on ramps or on average 100 hours a day.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the latest revelations would shock Queenslanders.
“We’ve got less than 1000 ambulances across the state and every day last year nearly 40 of them were rendered completely useless because of our disgraceful levels of ramping in Queensland,” he said.
“When you call triple zero and you’re told there’s no ambulance coming, the reason is clear.
“Those ambulances are ramped.
“What we’re seeing right across Queensland is a symptom of a sick system.”
Mr Crisafulli said paramedics were doing an outstanding job day after day under the most trying circumstances.
“Our paramedics are the heroes in this crisis,” he said.
“They didn’t sign up to sit at the end of a hospital ramp for hours at a time, they signed up because they want to help people.
“We’ve put solutions on the table including more beds, better triage, releasing real-time data and giving power back to the frontline staff to make better decisions to improve patient care.
“The Premier must start listening and act now.”
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said frontline staff were crying out for help.
“As a registered nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how frustrating it is for our frontline staff,” she said.
“For the sake of patients and our health workers we need to do better because lives are depending on it.
“It’s time for the Premier and her Ministers to start listening.
“Queenslanders deserve better.”
