Flu outbreak puts RHH on the brink

THE Royal Hobart Hospital is failing to cope with patient demand, with the Tasmanian Health Service forced to call in more staff and open extra areas of the hospital to deal with the pressure.

THS chief operating officer Nicola Dymond said that since Sunday, staff had been working to manage increases in demand for acute medical services, with the RHH initiating its “level-four” escalation plan across the whole site.

Ms Dymond said to meet demand, the hospital would open areas normally used only during the day for 24-hour use.

There were 27 admitted patients in the Emergency Department yesterday morning.

“The hospital is currently unable to achieve its expected levels of patient discharge and, against peaking demand, that means we are having to call in additional staff and make available additional treatment areas,” Ms Dymond said.

RHH Medical Staff Association chairman Frank Nicklason said the hospital had only initiated level-four escalation “once or twice” before this year.

He added it meant elective surgery would have been likely to have been cancelled.

“It’s an unusual event, we have teetered on it before but it’s not a common situation,” Dr Nicklason said.

“It reflects that we are starting to get many cases of influenza. It is very serious to go to level four. If there are no treatment areas, it makes it difficult to get new patients in.”

Ms Dymond said the Launceston General and the North West Regional hospitals were at “level-three” escalations.

“Some of this demand can be attributed to respiratory conditions associated with influenza,” she said.

“Patients are exhibiting complex medical problems which take time to ameliorate and that does have an impact on our ability to admit patients, which is why this escalation is necessary.”

Labor leader Rebecca White said it was unreasonable to put such demands on hospital staff.

“This heightened level of escalation means already exhausted staff will be working additional overtime and double shifts,” she said.

It reflects that we are starting to get many cases of influenza. It is very serious to go to level four. If there are no treatment areas, it makes it difficult to get new patients in.

FRANK NICKLASON