17-hour wait for care in ED
When Aroha Raynel turned up to Waikato Hospital’s emergency department with severe chest pains, she faced a possible 17-hour wait for care.
The mother of four arrived at hospital in an ambulance on Thursday evening and waited in ED for seven hours, only for a nurse to tell her she faced a further 10-hour wait.
‘‘I’m the sort of person that doesn’t go to hospital unless I’m dying or bleeding and this was 10-out-of-10 pain,’’ Raynel said.
The 37-year-old’s experience is among a host of accounts from patients who say they turned up to Waikato Hospital late last week seeking urgent care but faced waits of more than 10 hours.
And the pressure on the country’s hospitals may only get worse as health experts warn the next Covid-19 peak could coincide with a return of winter illnesses like the seasonal flu.
Raynel eventually left Waikato Hospital’s ED without seeing a doctor despite being in considerable pain.
‘‘I just couldn’t wait around for another 10 hours. I had to get back to my kids. I don’t blame staff at all though. There’s just not enough of them.
‘‘The nurse I was speaking to said she really didn’t want me to leave just because of the fact I’ve got heart issues, and I’ve recently had Covid. It was nice that she showed she did care.’’
Other patients who contacted Waikato Times also detailed lengthy waits at the hospital’s ED.
Waikato DHB spokesperson Nick Wilson said yesterday the DHB didn’t have anyone who could be interviewed on a Sunday and instead referred the newspaper to a statement by the health board’s executive director of hospital and community services, Chris Lowry.
Emergency departments are busy due to high patient numbers coupled with the impact of Covid on staffing levels.
All patients are triaged on arrival and those with acute or urgent clinical needs are seen first.
‘‘Unfortunately this does mean those who are not assessed as having urgent clinical need do end up waiting longer, particularly when our teams are busy responding to urgent patients,’’ Lowry said.
It’s anticipated the hospital’s ED will face high demand in coming months as Covid remains in the community and winter illnesses return. Plans are in place to mitigate the impact.
Today, hospital staff who are members of the PSA union will strike for 24 hours. Striking workers include lab personnel, hospital pharmacy staff, anaesthetic technicians, and staff attached to allied health therapy services and community oral health.
The DHB has a lifepreserving service agreement in place with the union.
Sue Stebbeings, chairperson of the College of Emergency Nurses New Zealand, said the country’s emergency departments had been under pressure before the arrival of Covid. The pandemic had served to exacerbate the challenges facing hospitals.
‘‘Chronic understaffing, space constraints, increasing [patient] presentations and more complex presentations are all factors,’’ Stebbeings said.
Feedback from colleagues indicate wait times at EDs have been getting worse across the country, she said.
‘‘We are doing our very, very best with the staffing we’ve got and the resources we’ve got. We know people are frustrated, we know it’s difficult, but please try not to take it out on staff and be patient. We’re doing our best.’’
Otago University immunologist Dr Dianne SikaPaotonu said the Omicron outbreak has put hospitals under added pressure. With winter approaching, everyone can play their part by ensuring their families are vaccinated against Covid-19 and the seasonal flu. Parents should also ensure their children’s regular vaccination schedule is up to date.
‘‘As we head into winter, we are moving in with some significant immunity gaps in Aotearoa New Zealand,’’ SikaPaotonu said.
The Health Ministry reported 5745 new community cases of Covid-19 yesterday. There were 384 hospitalisations, including eight in ICU. The ministry also reported 15 deaths.
Sika-Paotonu said the actual number of Covid-19 community cases is likely to be higher as official figures rely heavily on self-reporting of infections.