Tara Murray
Almost 400 patients spent more than 24 hours in the Sunshine Hospital emergency department in the last financial year, according to Western Health’s annual report.
The report, which was tabled in state parliament last week, showed that Western Health missed several timely access to care key performance indicators.
The statistics showed the number of patients with a length of stay in the emergency department greater than 24 hours at Sunshine Hospital was 390.
Only 60 per cent of ambulance patients transferred within 40 minutes at Sunshine Hospital and 62 per cent at Footscray.
This is well below the 90 per cent target.
Just over half of the patients who were classed in triage categories one through to five were seen within clinically recommended times at both hospitals. The target was 80 per cent.
The percentage of emergency patients with a length of stay in the emergency department of less than four hours was also down at both Sunshine and Footscray hospitals.
Just 53 per cent of patents were seen within four hours at Sunshine, while only 45 per cent were seen in that period at Footscray. The target was 81 per cent.
A statement in the report from Western Health board chair Robyn Batten and chief executive Russell Harrison said providing timely access to safe and effective patient care continues to present our health service with significant challenges.
“These challenges have been accentuated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said.
“Having a high percentage of the COVID-19 positive inpatients in the state resulted in exceptionally high Intensive Care Unit demand and inpatient acuity.”
The statement said that the past year had seen unprecedented numbers of mental health patients waiting more than 24 hours in the emergency departments.
“We continue to work closely with the Department of Health and the agencies that provide mental health services to our patients (North West Mental Health and Mercy Mental Health) to support the needs of this vulnerable patient group.”
