Naracoorte Hospital and Community Health Service unable to staff a 24-hour emergency department

A rural SA town’s single crew of overworked paramedics is calling for backup as a critical emergency department doctor shortage puts its community at risk.

A rural community has yet again been left with its emergency department unmanned, putting the region’s already strained paramedics under mounting pressure.

Over the past six months the Naracoorte Hospital and Community Health Service has regularly been without an emergency medical officer three to four days of the month, according to a union representative.

There was no emergency doctor available at the hospital from 8am Tuesday until 8am Wednesday, a situation set to be repeated for another 24 hour period next week.

An SA Ambulance. Picture: File

A Limestone Coast Local Health Network spokesperson said it was unable to secure an emergency medical officer through either Kincraig Medical Clinic or Naracoorte General Practice.

“We have arrangements in place to ensure ongoing emergency care to the community, including accessing the South Australian Virtual Emergency Service (SAVES) overnight and MedSTAR support if required,” they said.

“All patients presenting to the ED will continue to be assessed and triaged according to their clinical needs, and patients requiring emergency medical attention will be transferred to Mount Gambier Hospital ED.”

It’s a Band-Aid solution for the ongoing resourcing issue state councillor for Ambulance Employees Association of the Limestone Coast Andrew Shouksmith said was impacting the community.

“This probably happens three or four times a month and has done for about the last six months,” Mr Shouksmith said.

“These issues impact on our members greatly, because instead of being able to take patients to Naracoorte Hospital … they’ve got to go down to Mount Gambier.”

There is one emergency ambulance covering Naracoorte with three in Mount Gambier and one in Millicent.

Mr Shouksmith said a single patient transfer could tie up a crew for at least three hours.

“As far as career staff that is it,” Mr Shouksmith said.

“We then start to rely on the goodwill of volunteers.”

Mr Shouksmith said the gap in emergency department care coupled with overworked ambulance staff had seen the level of care available to those living in rural or regional centres significantly deteriorate.

“We have had no new resources and the Limestone Coast for many years,” he said.

“The AEA position is that we need another 24 full time equivalent staff in the South East Limestone Coast area just to keep the level of service, basically where it was seven or eight years ago.”

MacKillop MP Nick McBride.Picture: Tom Huntley

MacKillop MP Nick McBride said he’d been contacted by concerned constituents and had raised the matter with Health Minister Stephen Wade.

“Unfortunately this situation has been occurring periodically for some time,” Mr McBride said.

“Members of our regional communities should rightfully expect that they should be able to be treated at their local hospital in an emergency.”

Naracoorte Hospital’s staffing struggles were highlighted last month when the Advertiser revealed many rural hospitals were offering big cash incentives to secure locum services.