DHB told of ‘tremendous’ pressure on ED
INVERCARGILL
SOUTHLAND Hospital’s emergency department is regularly swamped with patients, and the community and health professionals need to work together to solve the problem, a health board meeting heard yesterday.
The longstanding issue had become even more acute of late, and the demand high patient numbers was placing on the hospital could not be understated, Southern District Health Board chief execu tive Chris Fleming told a board subcommittee meeting yesterday.
‘‘Southland Hospital is under tremendous pressure and stress and we need to do something that will make a difference.’’
However, it was a complex issue which the hospital, general practice and the public needed to work together to solve, he said.
On one recent day, the hospital’s emergency department (ED) had 12 patients awaiting admission at 7am but only one free bed.
Emergency departments across New Zealand have had a surge in demand in recent months, but the problem has been a perennial issue in Southland.
Most general practices have full rosters of patients and are not accepting new people, and the meeting heard that that, combined with the cost of a visit to the doctor, were among the factors driving high numbers arriving at Southland Hospital.
WellSouth chief executive Andrew SwansonDobbs said the primary health organisation was well aware of the issue.
It had started a drive to try to enrol more patients in general practices, but he said that was ‘‘a known challenge’’.
Mr Fleming said peak demand at the ED was midmorning, and Monday mornings were often particularly busy.
‘‘Going to
ED has become almost the default position,’’ Invercargillbased board member Lesley Soper said.
Southland board representative Kaye Crowther said people who could not get doctors’ appointments were turning up to hospital; she feared people with serious illnesses were walking out of the hospital because of the usual long wait time to be seen.
‘‘We need to do something because the community is battling all the time about it.’’
The board regularly meets in Invercargill, and it was suggested a public meeting about the problem be held at the same time as its next southern meeting.
New SDHB chairman Pete Hodgson said the idea had merit, but before he agreed he wanted to ensure the organisation ‘‘had enough petrol in the tank’’ to make an actual difference.
‘‘I don’t like public consultation followed by failure.’’