Tragic Deaths Spark Review of Queensland's Emergency Response Times

An investigation has been launched into the death of a 53-year-old man who died waiting for an ambulance at his home in Brisbane's Annerley suburb on Saturday night.

The man, who was experiencing chest pains, had called Triple Zero (000) for assistance, but paramedics did not arrive until two hours later, at which time they found him dead inside his residence.

A spokesperson for the Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed that a review into the matter has been initiated, stating: "The death of a patient is a tragedy, and we extend our condolences to their family and loved ones."

This incident is not the only recent case of a patient dying while waiting for medical care. On Tuesday afternoon, a man in his 80s was under the care of paramedics for approximately three hours while waiting for a bed at Mater Private Hospital. During this time, he went into cardiac arrest and, despite having a "do not resuscitate order," died shortly afterwards.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls has released a statement expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased, and confirming that both cases will be reviewed: "as will always happen when these types of tragic events occur — to ensure all procedures and protocols were followed".

The latest available data shows that ambulance ramping is currently at 42 per cent across the state's 26 top public hospital emergency departments.