October 14, 2022
Queensland Health is considering opening a short-stay unit at Kingaroy Hospital, it has been revealed.
In a Question on Notice, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington asked Health Minister Yvette D’Ath when such a unit was likely to become operational, and how many patients in Emergency had stayed longer than 12, 24 or 36 hours since January 2021.
Minister D’Ath said that when the new Kingaroy Hospital was built, modelling indicated a short-stay unit would not need to be implemented immediately, however would be part of future planning.
“The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated repercussions, along with migration to regional Queensland and challenges in primary care have resulted in the consideration for a short stay unit within Kingaroy Hospital being brought forward,” Minister D’Ath said.
“Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service is currently in the process of assessing the emergency presentations through the Kingaroy Hospital, including presentation volume and triage categorisation, as per the Australasian Triage Categorisation Scale.
“The analysis of these presentations and consideration of various models of care will be utilised to determine the most suitable model for a short stay unit at Kingaroy Hospital.
“I am further advised, since January 2021, 96.43 per cent of patients presenting to the Kingaroy Hospital Emergency Department have had a length of stay less than 12 hours.”
Between January 1, 2021, and August 16, 2022, 26 people stayed in the Emergency Department at Kingaroy Hospital for more than 36 hours.
Another 96 people stayed between 24 and 36 hours, and 1094 between 12 hours and 24 hours.
During this period there were a total of 34,051 presentations at the Kingaroy Emergency Department.
