Emergency rooms across Northern NSW saw an increase in admittance with Tweed hitting a record during January to March 2024

Hospital emergency rooms across the North and Mid North Coast showed a sharp increase of people attending emergency rooms. See how your local hospital performed.

Ballina District Hospital, Ballina had 4,972 ED attendances during the quarter, an increase of 10.2 per cent compared with the same quarter in 2023. Picture: Marc Stapelberg / The Northern Star

Emergency departments across the Mid and North Coast have endured a surge in demand on their services as more patients, and critically ill patients seek immediate care.

NNSWLHD Chief Executive Tracey Maisey said the “unprecedented demand for emergency care” brought 58,832 attendances in the January to March quarter, an increase of 7.2 per cent or 3,935 more attendances compared with the same quarter last year.

“This is the highest quarter ever on record,” Ms Maisey said.

Tracey Maisey, the New CEO of Northern NSW Area Health District, was appointed after Wayne Jones and interim CE Lynne Weir.

“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to our dedicated staff members for their hard work throughout an incredibly busy quarter.

“Our impressive results across emergency department and planned surgery performance are a testament to their hard work.”

The increase ranged across all levels of triage from those deemed less urgent to patients having an immediately life-threatening condition.

MNCLHD Chief Executive Stewart Dowrick.

Further south, Mid North Coast Health District Chief Executive Stewart Dowrick said a record number of people had attended emergency departments.

“We’ve experienced unprecedented demand for emergency care, with 38,420 attendances in the quarter, an increase of 9.2 per cent or 3,236 more attendances compared with the same quarter last year,” Mr Dowrick said.

Byron Central Hospital on Ewingsdale Road just off the Pacific Motorway.

NORTH COAST HOSPITALS

From January to March 2024, there were increases in presentations across all triage categories.

Despite this high demand, more than 71.1 per cent started their treatment on time, above NSW average of 66.1 per cent.

80 per cent were transferred from ambulance to ED staff within 30 minutes – in line with NSW average of 78.3 per cent.

72.2 per cent of patients left the ED within four hours, much quicker than the state average of 55.9 per cent.

Northern NSW Area Health District January – March: Patients transferred from Ambulance to ED within 30 mins vs. INDIVIDUAL (1)

“All patients are seen and triaged on arrival at the ED and the most seriously unwell patients are treated first,” Ms Maisey said.

“During busy times, those with less urgent conditions can experience longer wait times when there are large numbers of seriously unwell patients being prioritised for emergency care.”

80.7 per cent of 3,347 planned surgical procedures were also completed on time with 95 per cent of urgent procedures performed on time.

The number of patients waiting for surgery fell from 680 to 382 compared to same period last year.

January – March quarter 2024 Individual Hospitals of Northern NSW Area Health District.

MID NORTH COAST HOSPITALS

The Bureau of Health Information (BHI) Healthcare Quarterly report also showed a record number of people attended hospital emergency departments in the Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) in the first quarter of the year.

“Of the more than 36,000 presentations to Mid North Coast EDs, 4,343 were by patients with an imminently life-threatening condition (triage category 2) – this is a record high for the District and a nine per cent increase compared with the same quarter last year (3,985),” Mr Dowrick said.

Coffs Harbour Health Campus.

a total of 70.7 per cent of patients started their treatment on time, above state average of 66.1 per cent.

meanwhile, 82 per cent were transferred from ambulances to ED staff within the 30-minutes above state average of 66.1 per cent.

It comes as 68.8 per cent left Mid North Coast EDs within four hours from arrival, compared with the state average of 55.9 per cent.

Throughout the first quarter of 2024, the District performed 2,711 planned surgery procedures, with all urgent planned procedures 100 per cent performed on time.

Mid North Coast Area Health District January – March: Patients transferred from Ambulance to ED within 30 mins vs. INDIVIDUAL

“We continue to work hard to ensure planned procedures are performed as quickly as possible and it’s pleasing to see reductions in the numbers of patients overdue for their surgery,” Mr Dowrick said.

The number of patients waiting longer than clinically recommended for planned surgery at the end of the quarter was 293, compared with 1,011 patients at the end of March 2023.

Mid North Coast Area Health District January – March 2024: Attendance to ED.

Health authorities would like to remind the community to keep emergency departments and ambulances for saving lives.

For minor conditions please consider alternative options such as medical centres or GPs or call the 24-hour telephone health advice HealthDirect on 1800 022 222.