Pressures on stressed Royal ease
THE Opposition has warned that the Royal Hobart Hospital is still operating beyond its capacity after the Tasmanian Health Service stepped down its escalation point to three out of a possible four.
Unions and the RHH staff association on Wednesday said the hospital was the worst it had been all year with issues of ramping, bed block and staff stress.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson pointed to the tem- porary closure of parts of Hobart’s two private hospitals as contributing to the week’s issues.
The THS announced early yesterday it had reduced its escalation from level four to three.
RHH executive director Susan Gannon said: “As of 9.45am, there were 30 patients in the emergency department, with 15 patients admitted and receiving care in the emergency department while awaiting transfer to a ward.
“Staff are to be commended for their commitment and dedication during this period of higher demand.”
Opposition health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell noted level three was “still a higher than normal escalation” and called on the Government to pour more resources into the hospital.
“It’s become normal for the hospital to be operating at a level three or a level four,” Ms Lovell said.
“That’s not how a hospital is intended to operate.”
Ms Gannon said escalation protocols were “a normal way for hospitals to manage periods of higher demand”.
“They allow for increased resources to be deployed to ensure their patient safety is pri- oritised,” she said.
“Treatment is determined by the seriousness of the patient’s condition, not the period of time they have waited.”
Premier Will Hodgman yesterday acknowledged there was more to be done in the health system.
“The Labor Party … it appears are quite happy every day to point out deficiencies in our health system but can offer not one single solution other than to put patients into a hospital,” he said.
“The record under Health Minister Michael Ferguson is one of improvement. We have a lot more to do and in my view it’s best that we focus on that.”