Emergency departments clogged by sunburn and splinter presentations

Published Monday, 20 February, 2017 at 03:23 PM

Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services
The Honourable Cameron Dick

New data released today shows that public hospital emergency departments are being clogged with requests for prescriptions and medical certificates, and with minor ailments like a common cold, sunburn and splinters.

Health Minister Cameron Dick said the unnecessary presentations to Queensland emergency departments is contributing to unpresented demand in the system, with 50,000 more presentations to EDs last year than in the previous.

“This has got to stop. The doctors and nurses within our emergency departments are highly trained to an international standard and are the best in their field,” the Minister said.

“They are there to save lives, not extract splinters or write prescriptions for patients who could be visiting their GP.

“Queenslanders need to understand that if you arrive at an emergency department when you should be at the GP, you will wait. I make no apologies for that.

“If it’s not urgent, you should call or visit your GP, call 13 HEALTH or call the After Hours Home Doctor Service.”

Minister Dick said he was deeply concerned by the unprecedented growth right across the health system, but particularly the spike in emergency department presentations.

“I’ve asked the Director-General of the Department of Health to commence work on renewing our Keep Emergency for emergencies public information campaign,” Mr Dick said.

“While Queenslanders need to do their bit to help by accessing a GP or medical centre when it is appropriate, it is about time the Turnbull Government did its fair share to properly fund our public hospitals.

“The Turnbull Government’s freeze on the Medicare Rebate is placing significant pressure on bulk billing doctors who are increasing their fees and putting access to a GP out of the reach of many people,” Mr Dick said.

“Affordability of primary care has a direct impact on demand growth in public hospital emergency departments, and the reality right now is that demand in Queensland’s emergency departments is far out stripping population growth.

“I am calling on the Turnbull Government to lift the freeze on the Medicare Rebate and ensure there are no cuts to the home doctor service.

“Some Queenslanders are doing the right thing and accessing the home doctor service, but if the Turnbull Government proceeds with mooted changes to the Medicare rebate around that service, demand on our emergency departments will rise sharply again.”

The Minister said a recent Deloitte Access Economics report on the impact of the home doctor service showed that 762,000 Queenslanders accessed the home doctor service last financial year.

“The report also noted that from a survey of 50,000 home doctor patients across the country last year - 56% said they would have called an ambulance, attended an emergency department or attended an after-hours clinic if they couldn’t access a home visit.

“It’s clear from this report that any changes to this important service will see even more pressure on our public hospitals.”

 

Examples of presentations which could be treated by a GP, Queensland public hospital emergency departments, 2015-16

Principal Diagnosis

Category 5

Changes to surgical dressings and sutures

17,489

Sprain and strains

10,070

Request for prescriptions

3220

Request for medical certificate

2704

Superficial foreign body (splinter)

1203

Foreign body in ear

675

Cough

599

Fracture of toe

541

Constipation

456

Gout, unspecified, site unspecified

365

Other and unspecified medical devices associated with misadventures

246

Foreign body in nostril

225

Fatigue or Malaise

143

Contraceptive management, unspecified

121

Viral warts

107

Unspecified sexually transmitted disease

94

Sunburn, unspecified

66

ENDS

Media contact: Michelle Wellington 0437 323 834