Driver in hospital after car hits tree

A DRIVER was taken to Cairns Hospital yesterday after her car hit a tree in Palm Cove.

The 46-year-old woman was involved in the low-speed accident just before 9am.

She was treated for back pain and is in a stable condition.

Her admission follows a code yellow status for the hospital which was declared on Friday and remained in operation through the weekend to today.

Code yellow is used to prioritise and manage resources when the hospital is operating close to full capacity.

“An increase in serious emergency department presentations and hospital admissions contributed to the decision to activate a code yellow at Cairns Hospital on Friday afternoon,” a Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service spokeswoman said.

“Thursday saw a high number of presentations with 219 people seen in emergency, with more than half of those presenting via Queensland Ambulance Service.”

She said nine urgent Category 1 patients were seen during this time with critical health issues.

On Saturday the emergency department saw 203 cases.

“What we are noticing is that these patients are sicker. They take a lot more time and resources than simple cases,” the spokeswoman said.

Over the past 12 months the emergency department has seen an average of between 190 and 200 presentations per day.

CHHHS executive director Cairns services Tina Chinery said that emergency department staff, QAS and rural hospitals were managing this ongoing issue.

“I would ask everyone in the community that as the hospital is experiencing a busy period, if it is not an emergency to please try to visit your local doctor in the first instance,” she said.