Elderly patients are being left stranded in local hospitals due to a shortfall of aged care options.
90 patients have been left in limbo in Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service beds while waiting for care.
It includes 11 younger and 79 older patients, who have been medically cleared for discharge have no where to go.
Statewide older patients stranded in hospital beds costs the health system $1.91 million every day, and a further 290 younger NDIS patients are also awaiting discharge, adding $660,000 per day.
The state government is calling on the federal government to increase funding to the aged care sector and NDIS services.
The Wide Bay HHS provides care to more than 225,000 people in the Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, North Burnett and Discovery Coast Region, making every hospital bed valuable.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls says the Crisafulli Government is doing its part to strengthen Queensland’s health system for the future.
“We are committed to improving access to healthcare across Queensland, reducing ambulance ramping, and increasing life-changing elective surgeries.
“As part of our Hospital Rescue Plan, we are delivering more than 2,600 new hospital beds across three new and 10 expanded hospitals, as well as new and upgraded health facilities across Queensland.
“While we are seeing the elective surgery wait list decrease and important progress on our plan, there is much more to be done to restore health services when you need them, and we remain committed to delivering the fresh start we promised.”
