Healthcare system faces scrutiny after heartbreaking ambulance delay leads to loss

In a heartbreaking turn of events, a local resident is demanding answers after a medical emergency turned tragic. This incident has raised serious concerns about the efficiency and responsiveness of emergency services in our community.

The grieving individual is calling for accountability and changes to prevent such tragedies from happening to others.

The authorities are now under pressure to address these critical issues and ensure such failures do not recur.


The tragic tale of a Gold Coast man's agonising six-hour wait for an ambulance cast a harsh spotlight on Queensland's health system, leaving a bereaved widower in search of answers and accountability.

David Terelinck, who cherished a vibrant 24-year partnership with his husband Robert Miller, is now grappling with grief and unanswered questions.

‘We had a wonderful life together for 24 years. We travelled well; we saw the world,’ Terelinck reminisced.


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David Terelinck mourned the death of his husband, Robert Miller, who passed away from an unrelated illness after waiting six hours for an ambulance on the Gold Coast due to a fractured pelvis. Credit: Facebook / David John Terelinck


On June 11, after a fall at their Biggera Waters residence resulted in a fractured pelvis, Miller was subjected to a harrowing delay from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM for an ambulance.

Terelinck, who stood by his husband's side during those torturous hours, expressed his dismay: ‘I'm just upset that his last six hours at home—in the home that we loved—were spent in agony.’

‘Eventually they arrived six hours after the event.’

‘They picked him up after they had stabilised him. They took him to Gold Coast private Hospital where he was ramped for nearly two hours,’ Terelinck narrated.


Tragically, Miller succumbed to unrelated illnesses days later.

‘But as you know with elderly people—the longer you're in acute pain—it wears down your resolve. So, I believe it contributed to his early death,’ Terelinck explained.

Terelinck's repeated calls to triple zero were met with the same response: no ambulances were available.

Gold Coast Health, however, refuted claims of ramping issues on that day, asserting that Gold Coast University Hospital had the capacity to admit patients.

However, the Queensland Ambulance Service stated, ‘On June 11, the Gold Coast region was experiencing higher than normal demand for ambulance services’ and that ‘the patient was transported in a stable condition to the Gold Coast Private Hospital as per the patient's request’.


The incident has prompted a broader discussion about the state of Queensland's health system, with Opposition Leader David Crisafulli arguing that ‘the system is buckling under pressure’.

Premier Steven Miles acknowledged the gravity of the situation, admitting, ‘Nobody here is arguing that it's good enough.’

‘And we're just saying that on that particular occasion, our paramedics were responding to more urgent cases, more life-threatening cases.’

Terelinck's plight is a stark reminder of the fragility of our healthcare system and the dire consequences that can arise from its shortcomings.

As he stood alongside Crisafulli at Parliament House, his resolve was clear, saying, ‘I want to do this. Not only for him—to advocate for him—I want to advocate for the people after him.’


Unfortunately, Miller’s case was not an isolated incident. It was part of a worrying trend in which delayed emergency responses have had fatal consequences.

In another heartbreaking story, an Aussie mum endured excruciating pain and ultimately lost her life while waiting for an ambulance.

In Adelaide, an Aussie woman had to wait outside the emergency department of a hospital for over two hours after experiencing a stroke.

More recently, another patient suffered inside an ambulance while waiting for hospital admission.

These incidents underscore the urgent need for improvements in our emergency services to prevent further loss and suffering.
Key Takeaways
  • David Terelinck is grieving the loss of his husband, Robert Miller, who died from an unrelated illness following a six-hour wait for an ambulance on the Gold Coast after suffering a fractured pelvis.
  • The widower is demanding answers from the Queensland health system, which he believes failed his husband in his time of need.
  • Gold Coast Health denied that ramping was an issue at the time of the incident, stating that the hospital had available capacity; however, the Queensland Ambulance Service acknowledged higher than normal demand for services that day.
  • Both the Opposition leader and the Premier commented on the situation, with the Premier admitting that paramedics were attending more urgent, life-threatening cases.
Have you or your loved ones faced similar challenges? How do you believe we can advocate for better health services for our senior community? We invite you to share your thoughts and experiences with the healthcare system in the comments below.
 
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I agree, there seems to be too many people calling 000 when they could/should be able to get to the hospitals via other means. Then there are the prank callers who waste valuable ambulance time. There are many more people who use the ambulance who really need to, than people who fall into the above categories, but every unnecessary call to 000 means someone in need is waiting longer.
So totally agree. I have had to be in Emergency several times with both my Husband and with a Client. Didn`t call an ambulance, but the Ambulances were busy so it was quicker to take them. But then hours of waiting as so many `mothers/fathers in with kids. Nothing wrong with kids. Running around demanding the junk food out of the machine, parents outside smoking. Who was sick. Looked to me. ??? They probably just needed some sort of medication, which could be had a Pharmacy, but had to pay for. While my Husband, type 1 Diabetic, and the odd client, who had different health problems, had to wait until all these others were seen to.
 
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I have come to the conclusion that many of our politicians, despite the varied colours of their ties, are all tarred with the same brush. They will say anything to get a job with perks and lurks and a good salary, they have very little competence in the fields, such as Heath Minister, that they operate in and they refuse to be held accountable for their policies that they order the Public Service employees to implement I don't know why we employ them.
Yes I came to that conclusion sometime ago……it makes is quite difficult for me to cast my votes at election time……..I was just reading earlier that a pay rise has been approved for WA politicians but some are saying the 4% is not enough…………….while there appears to be next to nothing to help those that really need a helping hand now…..I just think it’s shocking….
 
Yes I came to that conclusion sometime ago……it makes is quite difficult for me to cast my votes at election time……..I was just reading earlier that a pay rise has been approved for WA politicians but some are saying the 4% is not enough…………….while there appears to be next to nothing to help those that really need a helping hand now…..I just think it’s shocking….
I read recently that all federal pollies are getting a 3.5% pay rise. Apart, that is, from their tax cuts. My cat is more useful; it scares mice.
 
God Bless our Front-line Workers who all carry out an amazing job. The problem is simple, we need more of them. They are low in numbers so can only do their best. I had a medical issue in Wollongong during Covid. I fell and dislocated my ankle plus fractured 2 bones in my leg at the same time. I sat on the roadside in the pouring rain wondering what had happened to me. When I came to my senses I knew I could not get up so picked up my phone and called for an ambulance on the 000 system. They arrived within about 10 minutes and whisked me off to Wollongong Hospital where I was treated with lots of care and expertise by their people. They were fantastic. What irks me when I look back is the time I sat in the rain on the side of the road trying to get someone to stop and help in some way. I just needed some comfort as I was distressed. No one stopped, they all just drove by and left me. Admittedly I had my dog with me who was doing his best to help. The Paramedics in the ambulance even picked up my dog and took him home for me. As I said, God Bless the front-liners.
I’m sorry to hear no one helped you. My partner who is as walking his dogs was assaulted in the street by a guy who hit out if his car and punched and knocked him over He is 77. An ambulance attended and took him to hospital but the lady ambos first collected his dogs from a man who had grabbed them and taken them to the park , and drove them home before going to the hospital. The ambos were delighted with his well behaved kelpies.
 
In SA when the current clown pretending to be Premier, Peter Malanarskis was health minister he created havoc in our health system with what he called Transforming Health. It involved cutting costs to health, closing hospitals and supposedly making the health sector more efficient. When he became leader of the opposition, malanarskis blamed the LNP for the health sector problems despite LNP reopening closed hospitals, building new and expanded facilities at 4 major metro hospitals, fixed a plethora of defects at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, built extensions to a number of country hospitals, and recruited over 200 new emergency services personnel. Since then, malanarskis lied his way into office in typical liebour fashion with his headline that he would fix our health system. Since then he has done nothing except waste money on unnecessary projects, taken credit for LNP projects and allowed the health system to deteriorate again. Ambulance ramping in SA is now worse than it has ever been. In addition to that, several people have died after waiting up to eight hours for an ambulance to arrive.
 
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Ask some staff who work at Public Hospitals. Transforming health means that Modbury Hospital and TQEH no longer treat heart attack patients even if they live only a very short distance from them. Heart Attack patients that should go to Modbury have to be taken to Lyell McEwen Hospital. Patients near TQEH have to go to the RAH. The same applies to the Noarlunga Hospital. You can be 10 minutes from there but you have to be taken to Flinders Medical Centre - even if most of your medical records are at Noarlunga. Unless it has changed Modbury Hospital has a childrens emergency section but no wards. They have to be transferred to Lyell McEwin Hospital or WCH.
Patients will not go to Emergency Depts at private hospital because of the ridiculous charges and you can't claim from Medicare or Private Health Fund at all. Even if you go to one with a GP's letter marked urgent and admission needs to be immediately you are still charged via Emergency Dept. before admission. About 15 years ago the charge for a pensioner was $220.00 and non-concession was $280.00. If they do xrays they have to be paid for immediately too. A relative of mine was referred to a private hospital and was shocked having to pay for the xrays at such short notice.
 
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