MOUNT Gambier Hospital management says all patients are being “prioritised” as presentations to its emergency department surge this week.
It is understood some people have endured lengthy waiting times in the emergency department with some delays in admissions to the hospital.
While the number of influenza of cases at the hospital is not known, it is understood they are contributing to the soaring number of presentations.
More than 20,000 people each year flow through the doors of the busy emergency department, which was the subject of a sweeping review in late 2016.
Acting director of nursing Pam Schubert said the hospital was experiencing high levels of activity with a rise in emergency department presentations.
“All patients are being prioritised and treated accordingly and we thank our staff for their continuous hard work,” Ms Schubert said.
Country Health SA South East deputy chief executive officer Ngaire Buchanan said only three of the 22 recommendations had yet to completed following the review.
“There has been significant work completed following the emergency department review at the Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service,” Ms Buchanan said.
“Three of the remaining recommendations will be completed once new medical staff members join the team, which we are actively recruiting for through the Rural Health Workforce Strategy and one relates to the implementation of Sunrise (formerly EPAS).
“The final recommendation reviewing the overall implementation will be completed in due course.”
Meanwhile, SA Health chief executive Dr Chris McGowan said this week hospitals across the state could experience times of sustained high demand.
“Although we have seen a reduction in the number of notified flu cases this week, we have seen a spike in demand on our hospitals. I would like to thank all of our doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals for the outstanding care they are providing during this time,” Dr McGowan said.
“We have put a range of measures in place to ease the load and re-balance demand across the health system, but it is crucial that our clinical teams continue to all work together and support one another.
The health sector chief said there was also a focus on discharging appropriate patients so they could return home as soon as it was safe to do so, which in turn would reduce the pressure on hospitals.
“In addition, we have flexed up beds across our hospitals, utilised additional beds within the private system, rostered on additional staff and postponed elective surgery where appropriate,” Dr McGowan said.
“Along with our other new initiatives including opening more than 30 new beds across the system since last winter and running community-focused care pilots in all three of metropolitan LHNs, we will work together this winter to ensure each patient receives the care they need.”
According to SA Health, both metropolitan and regional hospitals deal with varying levels of demand and hospitals in the South East region actively support one another when they experience increased demand.
