Published Monday, 30 July, 2007 at 01:37 PM
Minister for Health
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
A YEAR OF RECORD PERFORMANCE FOR OUR PUBLIC HOSPITALS
Elective surgery waiting lists continued to fall as Queensland public hospitals experienced their busiest year ever for patient admissions, emergency department treatment and specialist outpatient care.
Health Minister Stephen Robertson today released the Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report for the June quarter 2007 detailing hospital activity for the 12 months to 1 July 2007.
“The report shows Queensland public hospitals are busier than ever before and treating record numbers of patients,” he said.
“It also highlights the good job our hospitals are doing in the face of ever-increasing demand for health care from a growing and ageing population.
“In particular, I acknowledge our busy emergency department teams who are working hard to ensure hospitals meet the increased service challenges they face during winter.”
During the 12 months to 1 July 2007:
• A record 817,132 patients were admitted to our public hospitals – a 4.5% increase on the 781,737 admitted during 2005-06.
• A further record 886,829 patients were treated in hospital emergency departments – a 5% increase on the 844,213 treated in 2005-06.
• 140,509 elective surgery patients received their operations.
• A record 3,504,305 patients were treated in specialist outpatient departments – a 7.2% increase on the 3,270,304 patients treated in 2005-06.
Mr Robertson said public hospitals continued to make inroads into ‘long wait’ elective surgery lists despite growing demand for emergency and trauma surgery.
“Doctors must always give priority to patients needing lifesaving emergency and trauma surgery.
“However, our public hospitals treated 140,509 elective surgery patients during the 12 months to 1 July 2007; including 28,730 in the June quarter.
“Compared with the same June quarter last year, significant increases in elective surgery activity were reported; particularly at Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Redcliffe, Caloundra, Cairns, Innisfail and Mater Children’s hospitals.
“As a result, the percentage of patients waiting longer than nationally recommended for elective surgery fell for the third consecutive quarter,” Mr Robertson said.
“Particularly pleasing was the percentage of ‘long wait’ patients requiring urgent Category 1 elective surgery falling to 6.4% compared to 11% for the same quarter last year.”
“This is an encouraging result and shows our targeted initiatives to reduce ‘long wait’ elective surgery lists are starting to reap dividends for patients,” he said.
Mr Robertson said it had also been a record year for emergency department attendances.
“Caboolture (22%), Bundaberg (12.1%), Royal Children’s (12.5%), Mater Children’s (10.4%), and Gold Coast hospitals (9.3%) experienced the largest increases in demand during the June quarter 2007 compared to the same quarter last year.
“These figures are particularly challenging when you consider that Queensland’s population is growing at approximately 2% per year.”
Despite these increases, emergency department performance improved across a number of categories with the number of emergency patients treated with 10 minutes increasing from 67% to 71%, the number of urgent patients seen within 30 minutes increasing from 55% to 57% and the number of semi-urgent patients seen within 60 minutes increasing from 56% to 59%.
“These are encouraging results and I thank the wonderful staff in Queensland Health for their hard work over the last quarter but there is still more to be done to improve our performance”, Mr Robertson said.
“The ability of Queensland public hospitals to respond to increased demand and perform more surgery, emergency department procedures and outpatient care is a direct result of the Beattie Government’s $10 billion Health Action Plan.”
A copy of the Quarterly Public Hospital Performance Report June quarter 2007 is available in the What’s New box at the Queensland Health website: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/
30 July, 2007
MEDIA: PAUL LYNCH 3234 1190
Health Minister Stephen Robertson today released the Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report for the June quarter 2007 detailing hospital activity for the 12 months to 1 July 2007.
“The report shows Queensland public hospitals are busier than ever before and treating record numbers of patients,” he said.
“It also highlights the good job our hospitals are doing in the face of ever-increasing demand for health care from a growing and ageing population.
“In particular, I acknowledge our busy emergency department teams who are working hard to ensure hospitals meet the increased service challenges they face during winter.”
During the 12 months to 1 July 2007:
• A record 817,132 patients were admitted to our public hospitals – a 4.5% increase on the 781,737 admitted during 2005-06.
• A further record 886,829 patients were treated in hospital emergency departments – a 5% increase on the 844,213 treated in 2005-06.
• 140,509 elective surgery patients received their operations.
• A record 3,504,305 patients were treated in specialist outpatient departments – a 7.2% increase on the 3,270,304 patients treated in 2005-06.
Mr Robertson said public hospitals continued to make inroads into ‘long wait’ elective surgery lists despite growing demand for emergency and trauma surgery.
“Doctors must always give priority to patients needing lifesaving emergency and trauma surgery.
“However, our public hospitals treated 140,509 elective surgery patients during the 12 months to 1 July 2007; including 28,730 in the June quarter.
“Compared with the same June quarter last year, significant increases in elective surgery activity were reported; particularly at Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Redcliffe, Caloundra, Cairns, Innisfail and Mater Children’s hospitals.
“As a result, the percentage of patients waiting longer than nationally recommended for elective surgery fell for the third consecutive quarter,” Mr Robertson said.
“Particularly pleasing was the percentage of ‘long wait’ patients requiring urgent Category 1 elective surgery falling to 6.4% compared to 11% for the same quarter last year.”
“This is an encouraging result and shows our targeted initiatives to reduce ‘long wait’ elective surgery lists are starting to reap dividends for patients,” he said.
Mr Robertson said it had also been a record year for emergency department attendances.
“Caboolture (22%), Bundaberg (12.1%), Royal Children’s (12.5%), Mater Children’s (10.4%), and Gold Coast hospitals (9.3%) experienced the largest increases in demand during the June quarter 2007 compared to the same quarter last year.
“These figures are particularly challenging when you consider that Queensland’s population is growing at approximately 2% per year.”
Despite these increases, emergency department performance improved across a number of categories with the number of emergency patients treated with 10 minutes increasing from 67% to 71%, the number of urgent patients seen within 30 minutes increasing from 55% to 57% and the number of semi-urgent patients seen within 60 minutes increasing from 56% to 59%.
“These are encouraging results and I thank the wonderful staff in Queensland Health for their hard work over the last quarter but there is still more to be done to improve our performance”, Mr Robertson said.
“The ability of Queensland public hospitals to respond to increased demand and perform more surgery, emergency department procedures and outpatient care is a direct result of the Beattie Government’s $10 billion Health Action Plan.”
A copy of the Quarterly Public Hospital Performance Report June quarter 2007 is available in the What’s New box at the Queensland Health website: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/
30 July, 2007
MEDIA: PAUL LYNCH 3234 1190