Ongoing health crisis is spreading to rural hospitals

ADELAIDE’S health crisis has spread with industrial action at rural hospitals as new Health Minister Peter Malinauskas confesses to being “alarmed” at what he saw at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

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ADELAIDE’S health crisis has spread with industrial action at rural hospitals as new Health Minister Peter Malinauskas confesses to being “alarmed” at what he witnessed on an unannounced visit to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

In another day of drama:

PRESSURE spread to the regions with industrial action by nurses over staffing levels affecting admissions at Whyalla, Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Mt Gambier hospitals;

BEDBLOCKS resulted in dozens of patients waiting hours for beds including 41 at the RAH – three waiting more than 24 hours;

AMBULANCES ramped at the RAH as major hospitals were treating more patients in EDs than official capacity despite a government plan to ease pressure;

EMERGENCY department doctors warned the plan which includes nurses attending some 000 calls, will “amount to nothing” unless underlying problems are addressed.

The Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation started industrial action on Monday at major rural hospitals to stop some admissions until staff shortages are addressed by Country Health SA.

Nurses at Whyalla, Mount Gambier, Port Augusta and Port Pirie hospitals want up to 10 extra nurses at each site.

Federation SA branch secretary Elizabeth Dabars said nurses had refused to fill some beds.

“This is absolutely about patient safety and nurses take their responsibilities to their patients very seriously, which is why they’ve decided enough is enough,” she said.

Patients can still attend the hospitals for treatment but may be transferred if no bed is available.

However, the South Australian Employment Tribunal issued an interim order late Monday night that the ANMF stop industrial action.

New Health Minister Peter Malinauskas decided to drop into the RAH on Monday night and was alarmed by what he found talking to nurses.

Royal Adelaide Hospital emergency department.

“I had a chat to them (nurses) and I thought to myself, ‘geez, this is quite alarming’, when you start to hear this feedback directly,” he said on Radio FIVEAA. “What the nurses told me was alarming.”

The gridlock at hospitals continued yesterday with most hospital EDs operating at above capacity, ambulances ramping and patients waiting hours for a bed.

The crush prompted the Opposition to renew calls for the Government not to close the Repatriation General Hospital in December.

Australasian College for Emergency Medicine President Professor Tony Lawler said wider action is needed beyond the new action plan.

“SA Health’s recently announced plans to address pressures facing emergency departments will amount to nothing if real action does not occur to confront the ongoing, cultural and systemic issues that exist in the health system,” he said.

College SA Faculty Board member Dr Mark Morphett said: “Bed closures as part of Transforming Health, efficiency losses linked to the introduction of EPAS and increases in activity and acuity over years have greatly impacted on our ability to manage any surge in demand on the system.”