Hospital Emergency Dept busier than ever
MORE ambulance arrivals, more emergency department presentations and more admitted patients – these are just some of the pressures faced by the Dubbo Base Hospital.
A quarterly report released by the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) this week revealed evidence of the increased activity experienced by the state’s public hospitals, proving they are busier than the same time last year.
Dubbo Base Hospital saw a total of 8758 emergency department presentations during April to June this year, compared to 7919 over the same time last year.
Arrivals at the Dubbo Base’s emergency department by ambulance were also up 11.4 per cent from the same time in 2018, from 2036 to 2269.
The number of patients starting treatment on time during the April to June 2019 period fell from 69.9 per cent to 64.4 per cent.
Positively, the median time to treatment for emergency cases remained steady at nine minutes, however this falls slightly behind the NSW average which is eight minutes.
The wait time for urgent elective surgery also decreased from 18 days to 14 days at the Dubbo Base Hospital.
While unable to comment specifically on Dubbo, Chief Executive of the Western NSW Local Health District Scott Mclachlan praised the overall work of public hospital emergency departments in the district he manages.
“Western NSW Local Health District is performing well in key areas, including complex emergency work, which is a testament to the work of our staff and the investment in our hospitals,” Mr Mclachlan said in a statement.
The strain on rural healthcare was also thrust into the spotlight earlier this week following a Four Corners exposé which documented a serious of medical catastrophes in regional hospitals.
Doctors, patients and family members appeared on the program recalling stories where patients had been left dead or severely disabled as a result of treatment they received.
In response to the report, CEO of Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA), Dr Adam Coltzau, reassured regional communities that the cases documented on Four Corners were “the exception, not the norm”, but conceded that some rural medical services are feeling the pinch.
“Monday night’s Four Corners program demonstrated the lack of resourcing in regional and rural hospitals, both in terms of the available health workforce and equipment,” Mr Coltzau said.
“These cases demonstrate that, in some locations, we have hospitals and health services under strain and close to breaking point.”
Mr Coltzau also referenced the National Rural Generalist Training Pathway, which is in development, as holding “real promise” in delivering the next generation of doctors to rural areas.