Beaudesert Hospital treating more patients

Strong increases in emergency department and outpatient services have been recorded at Beaudesert Hospital during the last three months, according to the latest Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson said the report showed Beaudesert Hospital’s emergency department treated 3,486 people during the September 2008 quarter.

“This represents an increase of 14.4 per cent compared with the same period in 2007, an average of 38 people receiving medical attention each day,” he said.

“With hospital admissions state-wide increasing by more than double population growth, I have endorsed the 8 point, ‘Whole-of-Hospital Plan’ developed by Senior Emergency Clinicians to reduce access block across our major public hospitals (attached) to reduce emergency department and admission waiting times even further,” Mr Robertson said.

“The report paints a similar picture of increased demand for outpatient services.

“There was a seven per cent jump in the number of outpatient occasions of service provided by the hospital’s specialist outpatient clinics, 1,674 compared to 1,564 in the same quarter last year.”

Mr Robertson said Beaudesert Hospital treated 3,754 people as inpatients or emergencies during the September quarter, a 22.5 per cent increase on the June 2008 quarter and an 11 per cent increase on last year.

He said the Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report showed the Bligh Government’s $10.5 billion Health Action Plan was delivering significantly improved health services for Queenslanders.

“Our $10 billion Health Action plan is transforming Queensland’s public health system, and there’s no better proof of this than the increased services being delivered at Beaudesert Hospital,” he said.

“Demand for emergency department services is outstripping population growth here in Beaudesert, and we’re tackling this demand head-on.

“But we’re not resting on our laurels and we will continue to deliver sustainable health services for Beaudesert residents, now and in the future.”

Statewide, the September 2008 Quarterly Public Hospital Performance Report shows that compared to the same time last year there has been:

·a 5.8 per cent increase in emergency department attendances;

·a 5.9 per cent increase in hospital admissions;

·a 6.2 per cent increase in specialist outpatient appointments;

·an 8.9 per cent increase in elective surgery procedures;

·and a 17.6 per cent reduction in patients waiting longer than clinically desirable for their elective surgery.

The Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report (September 08 quarter) is available in the What's New section of the Queensland Health website at http://www.health.qld.gov.au/.

Ends.

MEDIA: Kate Van Poelgeest 3234 1185 or Martin Philip 3235 2680

Definitions:

Outpatient services provided = the number of outpatient and other non-admitted services minus services such as emergency, pharmacy, pathology, diagnostic imaging, community health services, district nursing services and other outreach services.

People treated as inpatients or emergencies = the number of admitted patient episodes plus the number of emergency services not resulting in admission. For example, some people will attend the Emergency Department and then be admitted to hospital.These people will only be counted once as inpatients and not counted as emergency patients for this particular figure.

People admitted to hospital = the number of admitted patient episodes of care. For example, one person might be admitted to hospital on two separate occasions, they would then be counted as two episodes of care.

People treated in emergency departments = the number of accident and emergency services provided. For example, a patient attends emergency three times, then it is counted as three separate attendances to the emergency department.