ED staff levels defended

The Taranaki District Health Board has defended its emergency department staffing levels after a nurses union boss said the workforce was not increasing to meet growing demand.

Earlier this week Suzanne Rolls, professional nursing advisor for New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation, said emergency department nurses across the country were extremely overworked and more were needed.

She had been speaking out after a patient spent 26 hours in Taranaki Base Hospital’s ED before being admitted to a ward during a busy Labour Weekend.

A health professional requested the family of the patient make a formal complaint about the wait and said it was a record length of time to spend at the emergency department.

In an emailed statement, TDHB director of nursing Lyn Wardlaw said the health board was committed to safe staffing but would not be increasing staffing levels unless a review showed it necessary.

As part of the nationally signed nursing accord, regular and ongoing reviews of nursing requirements were undertaken and the next is taking place this month, she said.

‘‘When safe staffing reviews indicate greater staff numbers are required we will implement this,’’ she said.

Wardlaw said the TDHB consistently watched the amount of staff to match the demand and patient needs in the ED.

‘‘However, the ongoing growth in patient numbers and acuity of those patients is a challenge for our team.’’

Wardlaw could not confirm if more staff would be employed for Taranaki Base Hospital’s newly announced $300 million hospital wing, with an ED twice the size of the current one, due to open in 2023/2024.

It would have to be reassessed at the time, she said.

‘‘A new and bigger ED will provide more appropriately sized patient and staff spaces that will allow improved patient flow, easier clinical access to the patient, more privacy and as a result a much better experience for both patients and staff.

‘‘This plus the addition of a new Acute Assessment Unit will affect the average clinical workload in the future ED.’’

‘‘The ongoing growth in patient numbers and acuity of those patients is a challenge for our team.’’ TDHB director of nursing Lyn Wardlaw