More patients receive care at Sunshine Coast hospitals

Sunshine Coast hospitals are treating more patients than ever, 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.

The December 2008 Quarterly Public Hospitals Performance Report released today shows the total number of admissions to Nambour, Noosa, Caloundra and Gympie Hospitals increased to 14,899, up by 1716 (13 per cent) on the corresponding quarter in 2007.

Mr Robertson said Nambour Hospital admissions increased by 1012 (11.3 per cent) to 9958 admissions. Caloundra Health Service admissions were up by 287 (14.3 per cent) to 2297 admissions and Gympie admissions increased by 417 (18.7% per cent) to 2644 admissions.

“More than 35,800 outpatient services were provided across the District between October and December, an increase of 1618 on the December 2007 quarter,” he said.

“Nambour Hospital provided 25091 outpatient services (up from 24290); Caloundra Health Service provided 5236 outpatient services (up from 4699); and Gympie Hospital provided 5546 outpatient services (up from 5266).

“This is 4.7 per cent increase across the District on the corresponding period in 2007.

Mr Robertson said Sunshine Coast-Cooloola district emergency department doctors and nurses dealt with 20008 attendances in the December 2008 quarter.

“Nambour Hospital treated 8824 patients, representing a 0.8% increase compared with the same quarter last year,” he said.

“Gympie Hospital emergency department staff treated 5,666 attendances (up 6.4 per cent on last year), while Caloundra Health Service treated 5518 emergency department attendances.”

The District hospitals’ busy emergency departments treated an average of 217 people a day.

Elective surgery waiting lists have remained steady with 2269 surgeries undertaken in the December 2008 quarter, 37 more than the corresponding 2007 quarter.

“Our surgeons have worked hard during the past year to improve the overall numbers of people undergoing elective surgery procedures,” M r Robertson said.

“About 50 per cent of Nambour and Noosa Hospital’s category one patients received their treatment within five days and 90 per cent were treated within 37 days.

“Meanwhile about half of Caloundra Hospital’s category one patients received their treatment within 25 days and 90 per cent were treated within 38 days.

“Of the category one patients treated at Gympie Hospital, half were treated within 16 days and 90 per cent were treated within 22 days.”

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