Published Thursday, 06 November, 2008 at 04:07 PM
Minister for Health
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
A solid performance at Toowoomba Hospital
Toowoomba Hospital has recorded a solid performance in the past three months, according to the latest Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report.
The report for the September quarter 2008 shows Toowoomba Hospital treated 1,092 patients from the elective surgery waiting list - an increase of 6.4 per cent on the same period last year.
Health Minister Stephen Robertson said the record performance was testament to the hard work of clinical staff across the State and evidence of the positive impact the Bligh Government’s Health Action Plan was making to improving access to essential health services.
“Our $10.5 billion Health Action plan is transforming health services in Queensland, and there’s no better proof of this than the amount of elective surgery being performed at Toowoomba Hospital,” he said.
“This increase is part of a trend across the State, which has seen a record number of elective surgery procedures performed in Queensland public hospitals in the last three months.
In other measures, it was an increasingly busy time for staff at the Toowoomba Hospital, who:
• treated 15,758 people as inpatients or emergencies, an increase of 0.6 per cent from the 15,659 people treated in the June Quarter 2008,
• provided 7,514 admitted patient episodes of care, an increase of 2.8 per cent from the 7,310 admitted patient episodes of care in the June Quarter 2008, and an increase of 0.6 per cent from the 7,469 admitted patient episodes of care during the same period last year.
• saw 10,790 emergency department attendances, an increase of 1.0% from the 10,687 emergency department attendances in the June Quarter 2008, but a decrease of 6.4 per cent on the previous year.
In addition, Toowoomba Hospital provided 42,229 outpatient appointments, a massive increase of 7.8 per cent from the 39,157 appointments in the June 2008 quarter, and a slight decrease (0.4 per cent) on the same quarter in 2007.
Mr Robertson said Toowoomba Hospital had performed solidly during the past three months, despite a rise in attendances, admissions and outpatient appointments in a period of strong winter demand.
“The hard work of the staff in Toowoomba is reflected throughout the State,” he said.
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.
“This report shows our hospitals are working harder than ever, but the strategies this Government has put in place are making strong improvements to ensuring more Queenslanders receive the timely health care they need and deserve.
“I have nothing but praise for our dedicated staff and I thank them all for their hard work.
The Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report (September 2008 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.
People received elective surgery = the number of people admitted for elective surgery from the elective surgery waiting list in either Category 1, 2 or 3.
People waiting for elective surgery = the number of patients waiting for elective surgery from Category 1, 2 or 3 with a status of ‘waiting’ or ‘booked’.
The report for the September quarter 2008 shows Toowoomba Hospital treated 1,092 patients from the elective surgery waiting list - an increase of 6.4 per cent on the same period last year.
Health Minister Stephen Robertson said the record performance was testament to the hard work of clinical staff across the State and evidence of the positive impact the Bligh Government’s Health Action Plan was making to improving access to essential health services.
“Our $10.5 billion Health Action plan is transforming health services in Queensland, and there’s no better proof of this than the amount of elective surgery being performed at Toowoomba Hospital,” he said.
“This increase is part of a trend across the State, which has seen a record number of elective surgery procedures performed in Queensland public hospitals in the last three months.
In other measures, it was an increasingly busy time for staff at the Toowoomba Hospital, who:
• treated 15,758 people as inpatients or emergencies, an increase of 0.6 per cent from the 15,659 people treated in the June Quarter 2008,
• provided 7,514 admitted patient episodes of care, an increase of 2.8 per cent from the 7,310 admitted patient episodes of care in the June Quarter 2008, and an increase of 0.6 per cent from the 7,469 admitted patient episodes of care during the same period last year.
• saw 10,790 emergency department attendances, an increase of 1.0% from the 10,687 emergency department attendances in the June Quarter 2008, but a decrease of 6.4 per cent on the previous year.
In addition, Toowoomba Hospital provided 42,229 outpatient appointments, a massive increase of 7.8 per cent from the 39,157 appointments in the June 2008 quarter, and a slight decrease (0.4 per cent) on the same quarter in 2007.
Mr Robertson said Toowoomba Hospital had performed solidly during the past three months, despite a rise in attendances, admissions and outpatient appointments in a period of strong winter demand.
“The hard work of the staff in Toowoomba is reflected throughout the State,” he said.
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.
“This report shows our hospitals are working harder than ever, but the strategies this Government has put in place are making strong improvements to ensuring more Queenslanders receive the timely health care they need and deserve.
“I have nothing but praise for our dedicated staff and I thank them all for their hard work.
The Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report (September 2008 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.
People received elective surgery = the number of people admitted for elective surgery from the elective surgery waiting list in either Category 1, 2 or 3.
People waiting for elective surgery = the number of patients waiting for elective surgery from Category 1, 2 or 3 with a status of ‘waiting’ or ‘booked’.