Queensland Health director-general says ambulance officers cannot be kept waiting outside

Queensland Health’s director-general has corrected a memo to Logan Hospital’s staff to turn patients away due to overcrowding.

The memo originally instructed staff to keep ambulance officers waiting outside the hospital if all nine waiting bays were full, which is a practice known as ‘ramping’.

Director-General Michael Walsh overturned the memo, reiterating that no one who arrives at emergency departments will be rejected.

Mr Walsh has urged hospital staff and paramedics to resolve their recent tensions, with a meeting set up yesterday between the Queensland Ambulance commissioner and the head of emergency department staff.