A 53-year-old Brisbane man died at his home after waiting about two hours for an ambulance, despite being placed in one of Queensland’s most urgent emergency categories.
The man called triple-0 from his home in Annerley shortly after 10pm on Saturday, reporting chest pain. His case was triaged as Code 1C, indicating a “potentially time-critical” emergency.
An operator called back roughly five minutes later to check on his condition. He reportedly said there had been no change.
Paramedics arrived around two hours after the initial call, at a property just a few kilometres from Princess Alexandra Hospital, and found the man deceased.
The Queensland Ambulance Service said it was conducting a review, adding: “The death of a patient is a tragedy and we extend our condolences to their family and loved ones.”
“While we are limited in what we can say due to patient confidentiality, a review into the matter is underway,” the service said.
The incident occurred during an unusually busy night for paramedics, with about 80 live jobs awaiting attention in the area.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls described the circumstances as tragic and said an incident review would be carried out.
“If there are opportunities to learn lessons from this … we will apply them,” he said. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family.”
The death comes as Queensland’s ambulance and hospital systems face continuing pressure. State data showed that in August, 42 per cent of patients arriving by ambulance at the 26 largest public hospital emergency departments waited more than 30 minutes to be transferred into hospital care.
The figures also recorded an average of 17.2 minutes lost per ambulance beyond the recommended handover target.
