AMA Queensland today recommenced its war on waste promising not just to name and shame without offering solutions and has already made recommendations to the Government.
AMA Queensland President Dr Mason Stevenson said the association met with Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and the Director-General of Queensland Health last week and told them it is time to listen to clinicians if the State’s ailing health system is to be fixed.
“Hundreds of pages of submissions have been sent to AMA Queensland from frustrated doctors fed up with the waste crippling the system,” Dr Stevenson said.
“Some of the submissions in the past month have come from the highest ranking and most senior clinicians in Queensland Health.
“Queensland Health employees are forbidden in their contracts to publicly speak out so AMA Queensland will take up the cause on their behalf and will also act as a conduit to the Health Minister.”
“Today we are going to name and shame three areas of waste in the system and put forward some ways to fix them.”
Fixing the Emergency and Elective Surgery Backlog
Dr Stevenson said it is time major hospitals were no longer run as nine to five operations.
“It is totally unacceptable emergency surgery is sometimes delayed by 24 hours to even one week. It is also unacceptable that up to 10% of elective surgery is cancelled every day,” he said.
“Currently there is only one Emergency Operating Theatre available at all hours in all major trauma hospitals throughout the State from the Gold Coast to Cairns (the only exception is Royal Brisbane and Royal Women’s Hospital which has two).
“We have been told doctors have to fight for theatre space for their patients during these times even in emergencies.
“Many patients who have suffered severe non-life threatening trauma are having their surgery put back until normal working hours because many cannot be fitted into the emergency lists.
“This contributes substantially towards the 10 per cent of elective surgery being cancelled or postponed during normal working hours to accommodate for the extra trauma patients.”
Dr Stevenson said of the average 30,000 elective surgeries performed per quarter, approximately 3000 elective operations have had to be cancelled to make way for these trauma patients.
“This equates to approximately 12,000 extra elective surgery procedures per year or approximately 36,000 over three years compared to Surgery Connect which is promising only 20,000 extra surgeries over three years,” he said.
Dr Stevenson said AMA Queensland has told the Government there is a vital need for an extra fully staffed orthopaedic and trauma theatre in many of the State’s major hospitals.
“But right now, we know there is theatre space available on evenings and weekends, and we know that with proper rostering doctors and nurses will be able to staff these extra emergency theatres,” he said.
“The 1700 extra beds and extra planned operating theatres being created over the next four years through the Government’s $6.1 billion infrastructure program will better accommodate both trauma and elective patients before, during and after surgery.”
Statewide Telemedicine
AMA Queensland President-Elect Dr Gino Pecoraro said another area of waste identified by doctors is constantly flying patients into Brisbane and Townsville.
“Queensland Health has in place a fantastic telemedicine system but it isn’t used to its best advantage,” Dr Pecoraro said.
“Dermatology is one example of many where patients in regional areas can be filmed and live feeds be sent to experts in Brisbane to diagnose such things as rashes without the expense of flying a patient to the capital.
“Telemedicine can also be utilised for consultations in psychiatric, paediatrics, general medicine, most medical sub-specialties and even in emergency departments and operating theatres in regional, rural and isolated communities.
Fly-in, Fly-out surgery teams
Dr Pecoraro said Queensland Health should also send surgery teams including trainee doctors to regional hospitals from Brisbane rather than flying the patients here.
“Surgery teams could spend two days in regional centres such as Cairns, Townsville, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Mackay, Bundaberg or Mt Isa, to name a few, performing more operations and shortening waiting lists,” he said.
“It would also give trainee doctors a taste of life in the bush and may help to convince more to practice medicine outside the capital.”
AMA Queensland and Queensland Health have agreed to an ongoing series of meetings to progress these and many other solutions to help fix the Queensland Public Hospital system.
AMA Queensland is the state’s peak health organisation which exists to advance the professional interests of doctors and the health of the community. It is an independent organisation which represents 5500 doctors - public and private specialists and general practitioners.
AMA Queensland Susan Peterson (07) 3872 2209 or Mobile: 0419 735 641
Sequel Communications Shaun Rigby (07) 3251 8140 or Mobile: 0438 021 936
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