Innisfail Hospital continues steady growth

Innisfail Hospital recorded steady growth over the past few months, the latest Queensland Health report card shows.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson said the increased activity demonstrated the impact of the additional $10 billion Health Action Plan funding which is expanding the capacity of our public hospitals throughout Queensland.

During the December quarter 2008, Innisfail Hospital treated 2,849 people as inpatients or emergencies, the December Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report showed.

“This was an increase of 3.9 per cent on the 2,741 people treated in the September quarter 2008, but a decrease of 2.3 per cent on the 2,917 people treated during the December quarter 2007,” Mr Robertson said.

“Innisfail Hospital also provided 902 admitted patient episodes of care, an increase on the 893 admitted patient episodes of care in the September quarter 2008, and an increase of 9.5 per cent on the 824 admitted patient episodes of care during the same period in 2007.

“In the December quarter 2008, the hospital provided 3,000 recorded outpatient occasions of service.

This was decrease of 9.2 per cent on the 3,304 outpatient occasions of service in the September quarter 2008, and a decrease of 5.5 per cent on the 3,176 outpatient occasions of service during the December quarter 2007.”

Mr Robertson said the decrease in outpatient occasions of service was due to the fact that the Outpatient Clinic and the Emergency Department (ED) – which previously had been co-located - had been separated from October 2008.

“During the December quarter 2008, the hospital’s Emergency Department reported 2,523 occasions of service, which was an increase of 7 per cent on the 2,358 ED occasions of service in the September quarter 2008, but a decrease of 3.2 per cent on the 2607 occasions of service during the same period in 2007,” he said.

“During the December quarter this year, Innisfail Hospital admitted 46 patients from the elective surgery waiting list.

This was an increase of 119 per cent on the 21 patients admitted from the waiting list in the September quarter 2008, and an increase of 2.2 per cent on the 45 patients admitted from the waiting list during the December quarter 2007.

Of the Category 1 patients treated, half were treated within 10 days and 90 per cent were treated within 30 days.

Of the Category 2 patients treated, half were treated within 30 days and 90 per cent within 77 days.

Of the Category 3 patients treated, half were treated within 0 days and 90 per cent within 0 days.

As at 1 January 2009, at Innisfail Hospital:

• One Category 1 patient (25 per cent) was waiting longer than 30 days for their surgery. This compared with no patients at 1 October 2008, and no patients waiting at 1 January 2008.

• Two Category 2 patients (13.3 per cent) were waiting longer than 90 days for their surgery. This compares with five patients (33.3 per cent) waiting longer than 90 days at 1 October 2008, and no patients at 1 January 2008.

• One Category 3 patient (6.3 per cent) was waiting longer than 365 days for their surgery. This compares with one patient (9.1 per cent) waiting longer than 365 days at 1 October 2008, and no patients at 1 January 2008.

Mr Robertson said the quarterly performance report reflected the hard work and commitment of staff in providing quality health care to people in the region.

“It shows that the $42 million hospital redevelopment completed last year is improving health services for Innisfail residents.”

In the three months to December 31, 2008, compared to the same quarter in 2007, Queensland hospitals provided:

• A 3.2 per cent increase (or 11,744 more patients) in the number of people treated in emergency departments

• A 5.9 per cent increase (or 12,284 more patients) in the number of people admitted to hospital

• An 8.4 per cent increase (or 8,520 more patients) in the number of people admitted for same day care in a hospital

• A 3.6 per cent increase (or 3,764 more patients) in the number of people admitted for more than one day

• A 0.4 per cent increase (or 3,074 more appointments) in the number of outpatient services provided

• A 6.8 per cent increase (or 1,950 more patients) in the number of people receiving elective surgery, and

• A 4.8 per cent increase (or 482 more babies) in the number of babies born

Mr Robertson said staffing continued to grow strongly. Since 2005 Queensland Health has employed:

• 1,715 more doctors, a 38 per cent increase to 6,267
• 5,778 more nurses, a 26 per cent to 27,689, and
• 2,134 more health practitioners, professional and technical staff, up 31 per cent to 9,068.

Mr Robertson said the quarterly performance report reflected the hard work and commitment of the dedicated Queensland Health staff across the state, and he commended their efforts in providing quality health care to people in their communities.

A complete version of the Queensland Public Hospitals Quarterly 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/

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.

Category 1 – Urgent

Admission within 30 days desirable for a condition that has the potential to deteriorate quickly to the point that it may become an emergency.

Category 2 – Semi-urgent

Admission within 90 days desirable for a condition causing some pain, dysfunction or disability, but which is not likely to deteriorate quickly or become an emergency.

Category 3 – Non-urgent

Admission at some time in the future acceptable for a condition causing minimal or no pain, dysfunction or disability, which is unlikely to deteriorate quickly and which does not have the potential to become an emergency.

Long-wait

Term applied to any waiting time that exceeds the recommendation for that category.

ENDS

MEDIA: Kate Van Poelgeest 3234 1185 or 0458 449 267