A Queensland grandfather has died after waiting for hours in the back of an ambulance.
Barbara Irving called an ambulance to their Coulson home, near Beaudesert, as her husband Wayne was suffering from chest pains at 7.30pm on Thursday.
Paramedics arrived about 30 minutes later and took him to Ipswich Hospital, where he waited from 9.15pm until he was admitted at 12.15am.
In that time, Mr Irving’s pain escalated by five times and he was in and out of consciousness.
As he was being transported down the ramp, Mr Irving went into cardiac arrest and died shortly after.
Mrs Irving said she was “completely devastated”.
“We’ve lost an amazing man,” she said.
Health sources told 9News that ambulances sat on ramps at south-east Queensland hospitals for up to six hours on Thursday night.
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Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said her heart went out to the Irving family “at this tragic time”.
“I have no doubt that his entire community will be feeling this loss,” Fentimen said.
“A full clinical review into Mr Irving’s death is now under way and will be considered by the coroner.
“I am committed to implementing any recommendations from the clinical review and the coroner.
“I have also asked the director-general of Queensland Health to work with Ipswich Hospital to urgently look at what additional resources are needed for this very busy hospital.”
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli claimed the government hadn’t made fixing the health system a priority.
”They are paying for it with their lives,” he said.
