Doctors frustrated at lack of information

Transcript: AMA Queensland President, Dr Maria Boulton, ABC Radio Brisbane, Mornings with Rebecca Levingston, Friday 16 September 2022

Subject: Impact of public holiday on elective surgery

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Next Thursday, the 22nd of September, will be a public holiday. Does that mean elective surgery will be cancelled in Queensland Health hospitals? Now, we've tried to seek clarification on this. A spokesperson for Queensland Health gave us a statement saying:

Our hospitals may need to consider rescheduling some non-urgent care on a case-by-case basis, particularly where the National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty the Queen impacts workforce and patient availability. Every hospital will work to optimise continuation of surgical and outpatient services tailored around those impacts. Patients will be contacted directly if they are affected, and their care rescheduled at the earliest available opportunity.

So that's the statement from Queensland Health, it still doesn't clear up things specifically for some doctors who say they still are unsure about what's going on.

I wonder, if you've been contacted regarding elective surgery or an outpatient service? Has it been cancelled or postponed? If you can share your experience, that'd be great. Dr Maria Boulton has been asking for answers too, as President of AMA Queensland. Morning, Dr Boulton.

DR MARIA BOULTON:   Good morning, Rebecca.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   So it's correct, members of AMA Queensland are doctors at Queensland Health hospitals, aren't they?

DR MARIA BOULTON:   Yes. We have members from doctors who work in Queensland Health hospitals, private hospitals, GPs, doctors in training, medical students, and retired doctors as well.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   So what has Queensland Health told those doctors to do regarding next Thursday, the public holiday?

DR MARIA BOULTON:   Well, we've been telling them what we've been doing, basically, which is we're seeking clarification from Queensland Health as to what is going to happen on that day. We're also getting phone calls from the public asking whether their surgeries are going to proceed, and they're so desperate to find out. And again, we have to say to them, "Well, we have no answers specifically. We've been told that it's going to be a case-by-case basis.”

But I guess we're within seven days now of the public holiday and we have Saturday and Sunday coming. When are people going to find out? Are they going to be rung today to let them know whether or not their appointment or their elective surgery's going to proceed next Thursday? We're within a week, and we've been asking for clarification since Monday.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Yeah. Would it be fair to assume that if people haven't been contacted by today that their surgery's going ahead?

DR MARIA BOULTON:   I cannot tell you, Rebecca, to be honest. I cannot answer that question. And I mean, people will be contacted. Normally if you have surgery, you will have a pre-admission appointment and you will normally be contacted the day before to tell you when to present a hospital, when to fast from. But if you're talking about being contacted the day before your procedure to tell you that it's been rescheduled, it's leaving it a bit late. And we have a lot of people who really are very distressed about whether or not they will be having that procedure next Thursday. And I guess we're calling on Queensland Health to reach out today and let those people know.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   How frustrated are doctors?

DR MARIA BOULTON:   Oh, it's really frustrating. Because doctors, all we want to do is help patients. That's really all we want to do. And doctors are working in a system that is broken. There's no surge capacity in the system. We're still having issues with ambulance ramping, bed block. So it's very difficult at the moment as a doctor to do what you need to do in a safe manner. And yet, these wonderful doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physios, et cetera, they keep turning up to work day-in day-out, trying to provide the best service they can in a system that's been neglected for so long.

REBECCA LEVINGSTON:   Let's hope you and the public get further clarity from Queensland Health, or indeed the Health Minister today. Dr Boulton, I'll leave it there. Thanks so much for your time.