Media Statement
Ambo union warn of hospital chaos on the Sunshine Coast
United Voice, the ambulance officers’ union claim there’s been chaos in hospitals on the Sunshine Coast
during the recent school holiday period.
It comes as members have reported that Caloundra, Noosa, Gympie and Nambour Hospitals have all
been at capacity on numerous occasions over the past two weeks.
United Voice Queensland Secretary Gary Bullock described the situation as “unacceptable” and has
called on the Newman Government to address and tackle the huge problems in Queensland Health.
Mr Bullock said “Yet again we are seeing even more chaos in our hospitals where quite simply there is
not enough staff to cope with demand.”
“Every day we see ambulances waiting outside Brisbane hospitals and Cairns Hospital is frequently full
to capacity.”
“While over the past two weeks, we’ve been told by members that every hospital on the Sunshine Coast
has been classified as “extreme” or at capacity. That means that ambulance officers have been forced to
go hospital shopping.”
“Gympie Hospital has been declared extreme for 2-3 hours nearly every day over the past two weeksit’s dangerous and just not acceptable.”
“What’s worse, this government keeps ignoring the problem and turning a blind eye while patients are
put at risk.”
“We are hearing situations of gravely ill patients forced to lie on hospital floors, ambulances ramped
outside hospitals or by-passing two or three hospitals in order to find a bed for patients and even the
emergency chopper has been grounded on a number of occasions because facilities are over flowing.”
“Now the effects of the cuts Campbell Newman has made to frontline services can clearly be seen on
the Sunshine Coast as hospitals could not deal with the increased demand due to the school holidays.”
“This government needs to tell the public and those working on the frontline what exactly it plans to do
to tackle the major problems in our health service before it’s too late.”
For more information contact Susan Butler 0428189130