St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Lismore has suspended non-urgent elective surgery

A Northern NSW facility has paused non-urgent elective surgery and taken on more than 20 public patients in response to the developing Covid situation.

St Vincent's Private Hospital in Lismore.

A private Northern Rivers hospital has taken on more than 20 patients from a nearby public facility and suspended non-urgent elective surgery in response to the worsening Covid-19 situation in the region.

This is one of several changes St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Lismore has implemented to help support local health services.

NSW Health recently announced new conditions on all private health facilities effective as of January 10.

Following this, St Vincent’s Hospital has ceased all non-urgent elective surgeries apart from same-day procedures and critical procedures.

The Northern NSW Local Health District recorded 633 new Covid-19 infections in the 24 hours to 8pm Friday.

Those statistics do not yet include registered rapid antigen test results.

St Vincent’s chief executive, Steve Brierley, said patients will have heard directly from their specialists about these changes.

“The aim is to increase the capacity of the local health system to meet the demands of the pandemic and increase the availability of trained health staff to support the response to Covid-19,” Mr Brierley said.

“We have also offered to support the Northern NSW Local Health District during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We realise the public health system is being overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients.”

St Vincent's Private Hospital in Lismore.

Mr Brierley said the local health district had asked his facility for support during the current outbreak.

“The health district contacted us last week saying they needed more beds and asked if we could help,” he said.

“St Vincent’s has responded by putting systems in place to alleviate pressure on our public health system and to provide additional support for our community.”

This has involved St Vincent’s opening a vacant ward to accommodate patients from Lismore Base Hospital.

Mr Brierley said the patients being channelled into his facility were not Covid-19 patients.

More than 20 patients from Lismore Base Hospital have been moved to St Vincent’s Private Hospital nearby in a bid for the private facility to support the local health district during the current Covid outbreak.

“We admitted over 20 patients to our hospital, with capacity for some more,” he said.

“We have increased our medical officer support this week to ensure patient care is of the highest order.

“This has been done very quickly and professionally, in partnership with the Northern NSW Local Health District, and it’s working out very well.”

Mr Brierley has commended staff at the hospital for their efforts.

“I am very proud of how our staff, although naturally concerned themselves, have remained committed to the care of our patients and residents with incredible professionalism and commitment,” he said.