MORE INTENSIVE CARE BEDS OPEN IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS

The Bligh Government has opened four additional intensive care beds at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and another two are on the way at Ipswich Hospital, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

Mr Robertson told State Parliament $5.6 million would be provided for the RBWH and $2.7 million for Ipswich to staff the extra beds and deliver better services for their most seriously sick and injured patients.

“As Queensland’s population continues to grow rapidly, the number of seriously ill and injured people we look after in our public hospitals also increases.

“That’s why the State Government has boosted intensive care and coronary care units around the state.

“There’s now more than 570 critical care beds operating in public hospitals, up by around 60 beds less than four years ago.

“Last year, we provided $8 million for nine additional neonatal intensive care cots at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

“More recently we opened a new 10-bed intensive care-coronary care and high dependency unit at Robina Hospital and another four, one each at Redcliffe, Nambour and Rockhampton and the Prince Charles Hospital.

“The extra beds at RBWH are already operational and they expand its ICU to 31 beds which allows the hospital to treat and care for approximately 275 additional seriously sick and injured patient this year.

“Last year, the Royal looked after around 1,860 patients with an average length of stay in the unit of nearly four days.

“With expanded capacity, we can expect more than 2,130 Queenslanders to get first-class patient care in the unit over the next 12 months, many of which will be life-saving cases.

“Staffing has increased to run the extra beds.”

Mr Robertson said the Ipswich Hospital ICU will soon expand by another two beds allowing more critical patients to be treated locally.

“The first will come online next month and the other later this year, meaning less seriously sick and injured patients will be transferred from Ipswich to other hospitals in south east Queensland,” he said

“That means quicker and better treatment for those most in need and less strain on other hospitals and the Queensland Ambulance Service.

“Ipswich Hospital currently treats and cares for around 400 patients in its four-bed ICU every year.

“I expect that figure to increase to more than 540 once both of these new beds arrive.

“Also in the pipeline are another two in our Central Area and four at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, dependent on staff recruitment.

“This is a notable achievement given each bed costs around $4,000 a day and requires a highly specialised workforce to run them.

“The three new tertiary hospitals being built in SEQ will also have expanded critical care units to cater for long term growth.”

ICUs care for the most high-risk patients who require life support or organ support system and intensive monitoring.

ICU beds are highly sophisticated to keep critically injured patients alive and help patients recover from major surgery.

Patients are admitted to the ICU for a number of conditions including hypertension, airway or respiratory compromise, acute renal failure, cardiac failure, multiple organ failure and severe injuries.

The ICU has a larger ratio of doctors and nurses to patients than in other parts of the hospital because of the intensive treatment and attention required by patients.

ICU patients require monitoring of vital functions – including heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, temperature and breathing; and investigations to identify the extent of the problems – such as blood tests, echocargiograms and CT scans.

MEDIA: Joshua Cooney 3234 1185