Redland Hospital treating more patients

Redland Hospital continues to treat an increasing number of patients, the Queensland Health report card for the December 2008 quarter 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.

“The latest Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report shows the total number of patients treated at the hospital as inpatients or emergencies jumped by 9.2 per cent compared with the same period in 2007,” he said.

“During the three-month period 13,536 patients were treated as inpatients or emergencies, compared with 12,400 people treated in the December 2007 quarter.”

Mr Robertson said Redland Hospital Emergency Department doctors and nurses had been kept busy in the December 2008 quarter.

"Emergency department presentations at Redland Hospital Emergency Department continue to increase rapidly," he said.

“Redland’s Emergency Department treated 10,424 patients in the December 2008 quarter, a marked increase of 499 people compared with the same quarter in 2007.

“This is an average of 113 people attending the Emergency Department each day.

“The hospital also provided 4,996 admitted patient episodes of care, a 19.9 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2007.

“The report also shows that no category 1, 2, or 3 patients waited longer than clinically recommended for their elective surgery.”

Mr Robertson said continual improvements were being made to facilities at Redland Hospital to deliver better patient outcomes.

“In August the hospital opened a new discharge lounge as part of its overall bed management strategy,” he said.

“The discharge lounge aims to increase the number of patients discharged before midday, permitting more patients to be moved into the wards.

“Redland Hospital has concentrated its efforts on medical patients, and has significantly increased the percentage of discharges before midday.

“The hospital also has an additional five short-stay beds in its Emergency Department.

“These beds enable patients to be accommodated in the Emergency Department for observation and while diagnostic procedures and tests are carried out.”

In the hospital’s operating theatres, three additional endoscopy sessions have been introduced each week, enabling an additional 18 patients to receive endoscopies each week.

For day patients, an additional three general surgery sessions per week have been introduced, which will enable up to 18 additional patients to receive surgery.

“During the December quarter, Redland Hospital also did some additional gynaecology surgery for QEII Hospital patients, to assist QEII during the hospital’s elective surgery enhancement project,” Mr Robertson said.

“The apparent 27 per cent drop in the number of patients admitted from the elective surgery waiting list is primarily the result of the introduction in September last year of a new theatre management information system.

“This new system means that patients who have some of the diagnostic procedures in the hospital’s outpatient clinics are now not recorded in the operating theatre waiting list process.

“This is a more accurate reflection of the care provided, and enables Redland Hospital to compare its activity more accurately with other hospitals.”

Slightly fewer babies were born at the hospital during the December quarter, with 493 babies delivered, compared with 526 babies delivered in the same quarter the previous year.

“I want to congratulate Redland Hospital staff for their dedication and hard work in continuing to improve health services provided to the local community,” Mr Robertson said.

Mr Robertson said a recent joint announcement between the federal and state governments that Redland Hospital would receive $7 million for a helipad and specialist treatment areas for children and mental health patients in the emergency department would mean further improvements to services.

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.

The Queensland Public Hospitals Performance Report December Quarter 2008 is available on Queensland Health’s website at 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