Anyone with minor injuries or feeling a bit unwell is reminded to visit a GP so that Hospital emergency staff can treat more urgent patients faster.
The Chief Executive of Southern NSW Local Health District, Andrew Newton, said demand on hospital emergency departments continues to increase despite winter being over and a mild flu season.
“While the number of people presenting to emergency departments with influenza remains low, our emergency departments are still very busy,” Mr Newton said.
“The Local Health District is managing this patient load very successfully but it’s important people understand that emergency departments must prioritise more urgent cases.
“There has been a steep jump in patients presenting with very urgent and critical illnesses, up by more than 11 per cent in June 2018 compared with the same time last year.”
The NSW Government is investing a record $22.9 billion in health in 2018-2019, representing a $1.1 billion increase over the 2017-2018 Budget.
It is being reiterated that emergency departments are very busy places. Even when the waiting room is relatively empty, there might be high demand in treatment areas.
All presentations to emergency are prioritised according to the severity of illness or injury, not by arrival time.
