MLHD has revealed that wait times across the district have dropped despite ongoing staff retention issues. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) Healthcare Quarterly Report shows Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) hospitals have continued to decrease the wait time for their patients, despite ongoing practitioner strikes and staff turnover.
The report (October to December 2024) shows almost nine in 10 (88.6 per cent) of the 1777 planned surgeries were performed on time, an improvement of 11.1 percentage points compared to the same quarter in 2023 (77.5 per cent).
There was also a significant increase in the number of urgent planned surgeries performed compared to the same period in 2023 (444 surgeries, 46 more than the same period in 2023), with all (100 per cent) performed on time.
The decreased times contrast with the in-house issues MLHD has been operating under as health practitioners continue to protest working conditions and staff retention.
“Allied health workers play a critical role in our stretched healthcare system, and we are at risk of losing these clinicians if we don’t shake things up,” Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes said.
“We need to attract and retain more clinicians who provide invaluable services caring for the health of people in the Riverina. We must take steps to keep them. The alternative is longer wait times, and people may have to travel further from home for treatment.”
NSW Nurses & Midwives Association members have also taken strike action at least three times this past year, claiming they are overworked and resources are at breaking point.
MLHD Executive Director of Medical Services Professor Len Bruce thanked staff for their hard work throughout the period, with excellent results in several emergency departments’ key performance indicators, and more patients receiving their planned surgery on time.
“Our results are a testament to the hard work of our highly skilled workforce, and I commend our teams for the dedication they continue to show to the patients in our care,” Professor Bruce said.
“We are very pleased that we continue to see reductions in wait times for planned surgery.
“Although the number of patients on the waiting list for planned surgery continues to increase, more patients are receiving their surgery on time. We continue to monitor our surgery wait times to ensure patients receive their surgery within the clinically recommended timeframe.
“The time to surgery for each patient is individually determined based on a clinical assessment of their condition by their specialist, who then gives the patient an urgency category.
“Patients who feel their condition may have deteriorated while waiting for their surgery are encouraged to contact their treating doctor who can review their condition and place them in a higher urgency category if appropriate.”
During the final quarter of 2024 there were 41,491 emergency attendances to the district’s EDs, a decrease of 0.5 per cent, or 216 fewer attendances, compared with the same quarter in 2023.
There were 3792 presentations to EDs by patients with imminently life-threatening conditions (Triage Category 2), an increase of 5.5 per cent or 199 patients, compared to the same period in 2023. Non-urgent presentations (Triage Category 5) increased by 9.4 per cent, or 551 presentations, compared to the same period in 2023.
Despite the high demand in our EDs, the majority of patients (78.9 per cent) reportedly started their treatment on time, which is the best result in the state.
More than seven in 10 patients (73.6 per cent) were able to leave the ED within four hours of arriving, well above the state average (56.6 per cent), and the second-best result in the state.
“All patients are seen and triaged on arrival at the ED and, as always, the most seriously unwell patients are treated first,” Professor Bruce said.
“During busy times, people with less urgent conditions can experience longer wait times when there are large numbers of seriously unwell patients being prioritised for emergency care.
“We continue to remind the community to support us by saving emergency departments and ambulances to save lives. If an illness or injury is not serious or life-threatening, we encourage people to call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for trusted health advice, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
Original Article published by Jarryd Rowley on Region Riverina.
