Health · Healthcare & Policy · 1 hr ago
Leaked Queensland directive tells staff to wait with patients outside hospitals
A leaked Queensland directive told hospital staff to wait with ambulance patients outside emergency departments until a room became available.
It was sent by Metro South Health to emergency department staff in September last year, during pressure on hospitals and ambulance services.
The practice is called ramping when patients wait more than 30 minutes to be transferred from paramedics to hospital clinicians.
The United Workers Union called for the directive to be withdrawn, saying ambulance crews should not be used to absorb hospital capacity problems.
Queensland’s government has promised to bring the statewide average ramping rate below 30 per cent by 2028.
The rate was 42 per cent in data released in August, after reaching 35.5 per cent in the June quarter.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the government remains focused on meeting its target, while the union has asked the Queensland Ambulance Service to intervene.
A leaked Metro South Health directive told Queensland emergency department staff to keep ambulance stretchers outside until space became available in triage.
The memorandum was sent to emergency department staff in September last year as hospitals faced high ambulance demand and crowded triage areas.
The United Workers Union called for the directive to be rescinded, saying ambulance crews should not absorb hospital capacity pressures.
The Queensland government has pledged to reduce statewide average ambulance ramping to below 30 per cent by 2028.
Ramping reached 42 per cent in data released in August, after a 35.5 per cent rate in the June quarter.
- Who
- Metro South Health issued the directive to emergency department staff. The United Workers Union and Queensland Ambulance Service are also involved.
- What
- The directive told staff to keep ambulance stretchers outside the department until a triage room became available, but not to leave patients in vehicles.
- When
- September last year.
- Where
- Queensland public hospitals, including facilities in the Metro South Health area.
- Why
- The memorandum cited high Queensland Ambulance Service demand and crowding in triage.
United Workers Union
Metro South Health directive
Policy
United Workers Union
The union called for the directive to be rescinded and said ambulance resources should not absorb hospital capacity pressures.
Metro South Health directive
The directive instructed staff to keep QAS trolleys outside the department until a triage room became available, and to escalate pressure to ramp in the acute area.
Responsibility
United Workers Union
Fiona Scalon said the directive showed the government was failing to address bed block and emergency department wait times.
Metro South Health directive
The memorandum cited high ambulance demand and triage crowding as the circumstances behind the practice.
Metro South Health sent the directive to emergency department staff.
The government reported a quarterly ramping rate of 35.5 per cent, its lowest since COVID.
Data showed ramping had climbed to 42 per cent.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls said pressure on emergency services and hospitals was concerning and reaffirmed the government’s ramping target.
- Directive sender
- Metro South Health, an arm of Queensland Health
- Directive subject
- QAS ramping in acute
- Ramping definition
- Delays of more than 30 minutes to transfer patients from paramedics to hospital emergency department clinicians
- Government target
- Below 30 per cent statewide average ramping by 2028
- Ramping rate
- 42 per cent in data released in August
What people are saying
They should not be utilised as a mechanism to absorb hospital capacity pressures or compensate for overcrowding within emergency departments.
This is an unacceptable practice and is not to occur.
We remain focused with a laser-like intensity on those ramping numbers,
QAS trolleys are to be ramped outside the department until room becomes available in the triage area, but they are not to remain in vehicles.