Healthcare system faces scrutiny after heartbreaking ambulance delay leads to loss
- Replies 26
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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