Ambulance ramping has reached a critical new peak at Townsville University Hospital, with official data revealing a record-breaking four-hour delay for one patient handover. The alarming figure underscores a deepening crisis in emergency healthcare access for North Queensland residents.
Record-Breaking Wait Times Revealed in Data
New performance data released by the Queensland Government for the month of March paints a grim picture for the state's north. The statistics show that at Townsville University Hospital, the longest single delay for ambulance crews waiting to transfer a patient into the emergency department stretched to four hours and one minute. This incident occurred on March 17, setting a disturbing new benchmark for handover delays at the facility.
The broader data is equally concerning. For the March quarter, ambulances at the Townsville hospital were ramped – meaning crews were stuck waiting to hand over patients – for a total of 2,305 hours. This represents a significant increase of 634 hours, or 38%, compared to the same period last year. The average monthly ramping hours have surged from 557 to 768.
A System Under Intense Pressure
The hospital failed to meet the key statewide target of transferring 90% of patients from paramedics to ED staff within 30 minutes. In March, only 55% of patients at Townsville University Hospital were handed over within the half-hour benchmark. This performance has deteriorated from 61% in February and 64% in January, indicating a trend of increasing pressure as the year progresses.
Opposition health spokesperson Ros Bates seized on the data, criticising the Labor government's management. "These numbers are a direct result of years of poor planning and under-resourcing by the Palaszczuk Government," Bates stated. She emphasised that ramping delays tie up ambulances and paramedics, preventing them from responding to other emergencies in the community, thereby putting public safety at further risk.
Calls for Action and Government Response
The record delay has sparked urgent calls for solutions to ease the strain on the region's health system. The issue is not isolated to Townsville, with statewide ambulance ramping hours for March reaching 46,224, marking a 16% increase year-on-year.
In response, a spokesperson for Health Minister Shannon Fentiman acknowledged the challenges, attributing part of the pressure to a 17.5% rise in emergency department presentations across Queensland compared to pre-pandemic levels. The government pointed to its ongoing investments, including the opening of 98 new beds at Townsville University Hospital since 2020 and a new 16-bed acute medical ward opened in December.
"We know there is more work to do, which is why we're implementing a range of initiatives to improve patient flow and reduce pressure on our EDs," the spokesperson said. These initiatives include the rollout of specialist nurses in ambulance communication centres to provide alternative care pathways and the expansion of Hospital in the Home services.
However, for frontline paramedics and patients enduring lengthy waits, the tangible results of these measures cannot come soon enough. The four-hour record wait stands as a stark indicator of a health system grappling with overwhelming demand.
