Hospital is worth the wait
A SURVEY has revealed nine out of 10 patients at Ipswich Hospital Emergency Department considered the care they received was good or very good.
This was despite a large percentage of patients still not being seen within recommended times.
Queensland Health's Emergency Department Patient Experience Survey for last year, reported 91% of patients were satisfied with the department's treatment for the main reasons they attended the hospital.
Ipswich Hospital executive director Linda Hardy said the hospital was pleased with the latest positive feedback from the public.
"This is a credit to the staff, the doctors, nurses, administration and support staff who work in the department providing care to our community, day to day - at what can be sometimes very trying and difficult circumstances," she said.
Despite the positive feedback, Queensland Health figures for May this year, revealed only 61% of patients with a potentially life-threatening condition were seen within the recommended time of half an hour.
Only 66% of potentially serious patients were seen within the recommended hour-long window, and 15% of less urgent patients had to wait longer than the recommended two hours.
However, the Ipswich department had a 100% "in recommended time" rate for immediately life-threatening (category one) patients who should be seen within two minutes, and 95% for imminently life threatening patients who should be seen within 10 minutes.
Capacity data gathered by Queensland Health for June, shows the Ipswich Hospital's emergency department was at a "busy" level 46% of the time.
The Ipswich emergency department was overcrowded 7% of the time, and had an ambulance bypass rate of 22%.
Ms Hardy said the hospital was working hard to continuing improving its service despite the strong levels of patient satisfaction.
"Since this survey, Ipswich Hospital ED has continued to improve waiting times and patient satisfaction," she said.
