Queensland hospitals' performance in meeting key targets declining, opposition labels report a 'horror story'

Demand on public hospital emergency departments has far outstripped Queensland's population growth, and performance in meeting key targets has steadily declined, according to the state's auditor-general. Key points: The report found performance at emergency departments was declining The opposition has labelled the report "damning" The Health Minister says work is already underway to implement recommendations A report from the Queensland Audit Office tabled in State Parliament examined emergency department wait times, but funding, staffing, bed availability and ambulance ramping were all outside the scope of the investigation. "The overall POST performance for the top 26 reporting hospitals has steadily decreased from 85.9 per cent in 2014/15 to 68.5 per cent for the period July 2020 to February 2021," the report said. The auditor-general's report made several recommendations, including improving the accuracy of ED data recording — specifically the real-time sharing of Queensland Ambulance Service data with EDs — and that Queensland Health monitor and report on its use of "short-term treatment areas" within EDs, including short-stay units.