The latest activity figures released by the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) have shown an exceptionally high level of emergency department and surgical demand in Northern Rivers hospitals during the most recent (April to June 2022) quarter.
The main reasons for the ED surge were the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus, along with a challenging flu season and the residual impact of the flood disaster.
Healthcare Quarterly tracks public hospital and ambulance service activity and performance in NSW. Statewide results take in more than 170 public hospitals and 91 local ambulance reporting areas. The BHI Data Portal and the activity and performance profiles include individual results for the 77 larger public hospitals – including 41 in rural areas – and each of the local ambulance areas.
Across our District, there were 55,052 emergency department attendances during the subject quarter, out of 793,987 ED attendances across the state. Of the NSW total, 178,490 patients were treated and admitted to hospital, down 8.2% compared with 2019.
However, in a finding that created media headlines, 76,117 patients left without, or before completing, treatment – up 67.6% compared with 2019 and more than any quarter since 2010. While over half were in less urgent triage categories, some 28.8% were triage 3 patients, whose care is deemed ‘Urgent’.
The report said 74.7% of all NSW elective surgery was performed on time – the lowest result since BHI began reporting in 2010. Waiting times for non-urgent surgery were the longest on record. Half of these patients waited longer than 339 days. For semi-urgent surgery, one in 10 patients waited longer than 161 days – longer than any quarter since 2010.
Locally, the busiest facilities for emergency care were The Tweed Hospital (14,145 ED attendances), Lismore Base Hospital (9,537 ED attendances) and Grafton Base Hospital (6,914 ED attendances).
The majority of Northern Rivers ED patients (68.9 percent) started treatment on time during the quarter, which is above the NSW state average of 62.8 per cent, according to the Northern NSW Local Health District. More than seven in 10 patients (72.2 per cent) were found to have exited the ED within four hours, also better than the NSW average (57.6 per cent).
NNSWLHD Chief Executive Wayne Jones said the quarter had been marked by significant upheaval as communities across the Northern Rivers were coming to terms with the devastating weather events that affected every aspect of life.
“I want to pay tribute to the incredible work of our health teams during this period, when people were dealing with the personal and shared aftermath of these natural disasters,” Mr Jones said.
“The way our staff rallied together to support both their colleagues and our wider community was outstanding.”
A total of 3,402 elective surgeries were performed in the quarter, a return to near pre-pandemic levels, and a significant jump on the prior quarter in which the floods significantly affected the ability to continue providing the usual levels of elective surgery.
“We are continuing to work closely with our private hospital partners to increase the number of public patients who are able to receive their surgery at private hospitals, as we work to reduce the impact of the recent disruptions on our waiting lists,” Mr Jones said.
“New models of care, such as the 23-hour joint replacement program at Lismore Base Hospital, have proven to be successful in reducing the number of days patients need to remain in hospital after surgery, freeing up resources to increase bed capacity.
“We want to thank the community for their understanding during this period of high activity. Any patients who feel their condition has deteriorated while waiting for their procedure are encouraged to contact their treating doctor for a clinical review and they can be placed in a higher urgency category if required.”
Between mid-2012 and mid-2022 NNSWLHD increased its workforce by an additional 1,127 full time equivalent staff - an increase of 29.9 percent including 223 more doctors, 374 more nurses and midwives, and 132 more allied health staff.
