MP Says Staff Turnover Is Soaring At Mackay Hospital

Member for Whitsunday, Amanda Camm has recently voiced concerns about the ‘unacceptable’ state of healthcare in the region, particularly focusing on staff turnover rates and the pressures faced by local hospitals and staff.

Ms Camm highlighted what she sees as a concerning trend at the Mackay Hospital and Health Service, attributing to the rise in staff turnover rates under the management of the Labor Government.

“We’ve seen an increase over the last four years under this current term of Labor, an increase of 3.36 per cent up to 8.21 per cent…that’s almost a 5 per cent increase in just four years,” said Ms Camm.

“We need our frontline services to be supported.

“Doctors and nurses are working extraordinary hours and I am contacted each and every day through my office by those nurses that are being asked to work extra shifts and are being asked to take on overtime because of the staff shortages that they’re experiencing at the health service.

“This is having an impact across our entire region and in particular, when you compare us to other regional health services, like Townsville, Central Queensland and Rockhampton or Toowoomba we are at the highest number and that’s insane,” Ms Camm said.

Nigel Dalton, LNP candidate for Mackay, criticised the current Labor Government’s management of healthcare facilities, arguing that expectant mothers are not receiving the necessary treatment and calling for administrative improvements to ensure better care, particularly in maternity services.

Dalton said, “What we’re really looking at here is a mother, an expectant mother, coming into the hospital to have a baby and not being able to get the treatment that they need.

“Mums and bubs are in need of the best treatment they can get.

“The management is coming from the Labor Government, so, in 2024 we need to show Labor the door and move on and get this 21st Century facility up to scratch with the administration so that we can get people treated much more sustainably throughout the period of their time, especially in the maternity section,” Dalton said.

Glen Kelly, LNP candidate for Mirani, highlighted the lack of hospital services in central Queensland, noting that many areas rely heavily on distant facilities in Rockhampton and Mackay. He emphasised the need for local hospitals to serve these communities, particularly for maternity care, and urged that this issue be addressed in the upcoming 2024 election.

In relation to the pressures of workload for understaffed hospitals, the Labor Government claims that ‘Queensland’s Satellite Hospitals Minor Injury and Illness Clinics have seen over 100,000 patients, diverting non-urgent cases away from busy emergency departments.’

Despite these claims, the State Government released recent data saying that the health system is improving across several key measures, including off patient stretcher time, ED wait time, and lost time per ambulance.
“The June quarter ED performance data showed 5,900 more patients were transferred off stretcher within 30 mins compared to this time last year, despite a record number of patients.
“Queensland emergency departments saw more than 592,000 patients in the same period, with 55.3 per cent of patients off-stretcher within 30 minutes,” the State Government said in a statement.
Queensland Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman commented that, “Despite record numbers of presentations across the board, the system is performing better on every measure.

“Despite a surge in serious presentations, respiratory illness and the busiest June quarter we’ve ever seen – more patients are being transferred more quickly into ED care.
“The median wait time in the ED for the June quarter was just 15 minutes – that’s a two-minute improvement and four minutes better than it was under the LNP.
“And average lost time per ambulance also dropped by more than four minutes.
“This is thanks to our hard-working paramedics, our hard-working ED doctors and nurses, and the extra investments we’ve been making.
“While there is more work to do, this data shows our investments and policies like nurse-led clinics, satellite hospitals, and the virtual ED are helping reduce pressures on emergency departments.”
Amanda Camm, Member for Whitsundays opposed that, saying “There is a significant focus on administration that is taking away from those doctors and nurses on the frontline.

“Some of that direction is coming out of south east Queensland and from the Labor Government who are more concerned about how things look than in fact what the numbers are showing us, which is that doctors and nurses are leaving and they are burnt out… it’s not acceptable.”

“We should have a world class health service given the royalties that come out of our region and what we’ve seen is that they do not value our frontline, they are not valuing out doctors and nurses, and that became very apparent in that maternity inquiry when I heard form frustrated whistle blowers who have gone unheard by this Labor Government.

“The numbers are declining and it’s getting worse… that’s the record of this Labor Government,” Ms Camm said.

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Amanda Camm, Member for Whitsunday, Nigel Dalton, LNP candidate for Mackay and Glen Kelly, LNP candidate for Mirani met last Wednesday at Mackay Base Hospital to discuss an alleged rise in staff turnover rates. Photo credit: Hannah McNamara

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