Patients at Werribee Mercy are experiencing shorter waiting times, according to recently released data.
The Victorian Health Services Performance data for the September quarter, released last week, reveals 100 per cent of the hospital’s 182 category one ‘urgent elective’ surgery patients were provided operations within the benchmark 30-day period.
Ninety two per cent of category two patients were seen within the 90-day benchmark – up from 85 per cent for the same quarter of the previous year. The number of emergency admissions also rose in the September quarter, with 2536 patients admitted – up from 2165.
Medical professionals saw 9177 patients presenting to the emergency departments – up from 8352.
The hospital also received 1640 ambulance arrivals at its emergency department in the quarter, 274 more than the previous year.
Mercy Health chief executive of health services Linda Mellors said the data highlighted the increase in presentations as a result of rapid growth in Wyndham. “To help with demand for our services, the hospital has implemented strategies to help with emergency waiting times during peak periods,” she said. “These include opening more acute beds and having a dedicated team treating lower-acuity patients.
“We’ve also recruited more staff specialists to expand the medical services we offer to the Wyndham community.”
Dr Mellors said this was all possible due to increased state government funding in this year’s budget.
State Health Minister Jill Hennessy said the data confirmed that despite the high demand on doctors, nurses and paramedics, more patients were getting the treatment and surgeries they needed sooner.
“Wyndham patients experiencing life- threatening conditions can have every confidence they will receive faster responses from paramedics today,” she said.
The hospital is undergoing an $85 million expansion, which when completed in mid- 2018, will include a new critical care unit, six operating theatres, 56 inpatient beds, and a new central sterile supply department.
