June 6, 2023
Some patients waited almost seven hours last year while “ramped” at Toowoomba Hospital, figures distributed on Tuesday by the LNP Opposition reveal.
The longest times paramedics and patients spent ramped in Toowoomba between August and December 2022 include 5 hours 45 minutes in December, 6 hours 55 minutes in November and 6 hours 20 minutes in October.
The figures were released in response to a Question on Notice.
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said the times were unacceptable and “another example of how the chaos and crisis of the Palaszczuk Labor Government was affecting patients and paramedics every week”.
“This is the devastating impact ambulance ramping has on our health system,” Ms Bates said.
“As a nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how stressful it is for patients who must wait seven hours at the end of a ramp for a hospital bed.”
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Toowoomba Hospital: Longest wait times for a patient ramped (hours and minutes):
Rank | Aug 2022 | Sept 2022 | Oct 2022 | Nov 2022 | Dec 2022 |
Longest wait | 6:13 | 4:05 | 6:20 | 6:55 | 5:45 |
2nd longest wait | 5:02 | 4:00 | 5:08 | 5:00 | 5:06 |
3rd longest wait | 4:28 | 3:54 | 4:29 | 3:50 | 4:58 |
4th longest wait | 3:57 | 3:31 | 4:02 | 3:47 | 4:56 |
5th longest wait | 3:54 | 3:30 | 3:49 | 3:33 | 4:28 |