Qld LNP double down on hospital probe

Queensland’s opposition has pushed for more whistleblowers to come forward in light of an independent review into complaints from women and allegations of patient harm at some of the state’s hospitals.

A dedicated hotline has allegedly received 55 calls towards a review at the Mackay Hospital, while another probe is ongoing at the Caboolture Hospital launched last month.

LNP MP Ros Bates says the independent review of Mackay cannot be another case of Queensland health assessing itself.

“With regards to the inquiry we haven’t seen the terms of reference yet. We are a little concerned that it’s Queensland Health judging Queensland Health. We saw that with the Caboolture inquiry,” she said on Thursday.

“We also don’t know the timeframe as to how far back they’re actually looking to say whether patients have been harmed.

“We need to make sure that people aren’t operating outside their scope of practice, and we need to make sure more importantly that if patients are harmed, that they are being listened to.”

Mackay Hospital and Health Services chief executive Lisa Davies Jones said the investigation was implemented after patient advocate Beryl Crosby contacted her with concerns earlier this month.

At least one doctor has been suspended at the hospital ahead of the independent review.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) has suspended the hospital’s accreditation to train obstetricians and gynaecologists.

“I am confident we will meet their requirements (for re-accreditation),” she told AAP on Wednesday.

LNP leader David Crisafulli added that the government seems to only act when a light is shone on these issues.

“Whether that’s the way the exemption unit runs in Queensland or whether that’s action on getting results at a hospital, it seems to be that the government’s more interested in how things look, than how they actually are,” he told reporters.

“Paramedics and nurses and doctors have reached out to us to say they’re struggling under a system that just at breaking point.

“We just can’t allow coronavirus to be used as the excuse. This started seven years ago – ambulance ramping was 15 per cent in 2015, it was 29 per cent the month before coronavirus, and today it’s at 42 per cent statewide.”

When asked about the review, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk wouldn’t concede the issue was a ‘crisis’, saying it was a concerning matter and she looked forward to the results once completed.

“It’s great to see that people are coming forward, I think that’s excellent. That’s why they have set that up and the results of that review will go from the hospital board to the health minister,” she said.

Qld LNP double down on hospital probe
Independent Information