## A Queensland Man's Tragic Death at Ipswich Hospital
Wayne Irving, a 67-year-old foster carer from Scenic Rim, Queensland, tragically passed away at Ipswich Hospital after waiting three hours to be seen. He arrived at the hospital with severe abdominal pain on November 16, 2022, around 9 pm. However, he remained in an ambulance outside the emergency department for hours before being reviewed and admitted to a bed around midnight.
An incident analysis report by Queensland Health revealed that Mr. Irving had not been seen by a medical officer within the recommended timeframe due to "department acuity." Despite being redirected to a resuscitation bay, he was unresponsive upon arrival and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 1:10 am.
The report concluded that an earlier diagnosis of Mr. Irving's abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in the emergency department was unlikely to have prevented his death due to the imminent rupture, high mortality rate associated with AAA, and the need for surgery at another hospital. However, it acknowledged that an earlier diagnosis could have allowed his family more time with him.
Mr. Irving's daughter, Lauren Hansford, expressed her family's loss of faith in the state's health system. She emphasized their expectation of proper treatment for their loved one. The report acknowledged the appropriate initial triage of Mr. Irving but noted that the timeframe was not met.
While the report recognized the challenges faced by emergency department staff due to demand and resource constraints, it did not offer specific recommendations on addressing these issues. However, it did consider factors that could have improved the experience for Mr. Irving and his family, such as having a social worker available after hours and improving the condition of the family room at the ED. The report noted that the broken furniture in the family room had been removed and the room cleaned.