Shorter hospital stays a feature of improved performance

The time Queensland patients spend in hospital has dropped by 11 per cent since 2011 under better management strategies that redirect hundreds of millions of dollars to frontline health services.

The State’s 17 Hospital and Health Services achieved a 7.4 per cent year-on-year reduction in average lengths of stay for the five months to May.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the improvement enabled a 6.5 per cent increase in the number of admitted patients, without needing to increase bed capacity.

“It’s not the dollars we spend, but how we use them,” Mr Springborg said.

“These dramatic improvements in efficiency were achieved by the same staff and workplaces used as scapegoats by the former Labor Government.

“Labor blamed its failings on the health workforce, when these achievements show it was actually the sick administrative performance of the Labor Party that destroyed Queensland Health.

“Under the Newman Government, our health workforce is redesigning its clinical services to break through barriers to better health care.” 

“Without the moves, $79 million in extra operational funding and 430 extra inpatient beds would have been required to provide the same service we’ve delivered in the five months to May 2013.”

The Minister also said that without improvements:
• An extra $112m and 279 beds would have been required in 2012/13, compared to 2011/12.
• An extra $184m and 458 beds would have been required in 2012/13, compared to 2010/11.

Mr Springborg said the comparison was based on performance data from 21 of the State’s largest hospitals – at the Gold Coast, Robina, RCH, Nambour, Logan, Ipswich, Redland, QEII, PAH, Townsville, Cairns, TPCH, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Maryborough, Hervey Bay, RBWH, Redcliffe and Caboolture.

Strategies pioneered in Queensland Hospital and Health Services included:
• Short Stay and Medical Assessment and Planning Units to co-locate allied health teams and provide 24/7 decision making
• Focus on multi-disciplinary care and timely discharge including Criteria Led Discharge and the use of Electronic Patient Journey Boards
• Focus on transition of care decisions to ensure patients are located in the best care setting, including liaison with residential aged care centres, use of sub-acute care facilities, home discharge and Hospital in The Home

[ENDS] 24 July 2013
Media contact: Cameron Thompson 0407 585 230