Victorian hospitals with worst emergency department delays revealed

Victoria’s current health crisis has put unprecedented pressure on public emergency departments. See how your suburb’s hospital performed.

More than two-thirds of emergency department patients at a major Melbourne hospital were not treated within the recommended time period, the latest quarterly data revealed.

Analysis of health performance data released earlier this month shows Monash Medical Centre in Clayton had the worst emergency department (ED) delays in the state when ranked by percentage.

The hospital — home to the second busiest ED in Victoria last quarter — treated 30.9 per cent of ED patients within the recommended time frame and was one of five services to score below 40 per cent.

In comparison, 58.97 per cent of patients across all Victorian public EDs were seen on time between April and June 2022.

In one of the state’s busiest quarters in history, Victoria’s public hospitals recorded more than 486,000 ED presentations over three months.

A third of patients were treated on time at Ballarat Base Hospital, while Werribee Mercy Hospital recorded the third lowest result with 36.56 per cent.

Casey Hospital saw 37.64 per cent of their ED patients within time, while St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne notched 39. 18 per cent.

The next four locations (Footscray Hospital, University Hospital Geelong, The Northern Hospital — Epping and Dandenong Hospital) scored above forty per cent but still treated less than half of their patients on time.

The remaining 31 public hospital EDs in Victoria fell above 50 per cent, including the Royal Children’s which had the fourth highest number of presentations in the state, treating 55.5 per cent of them within time.

Victoria’s public hospitals recorded more than 486,000 ED presentations over three months. Picture: David Crosling

Recommended treatment time varies based on ED patients’ triage category and range from category one (requires resuscitation) patients — which the data shows were always seen immediately — to category five (non-urgent) cases who should be seen within two hours.

At the other end of the table was the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, which treated 90.98 per cent of their patients within time — the highest result in the state.

The only other ED to score above 90 per cent was Angliss Hospital.

Swan Hill District came close (89.66 per cent) while Williamstown Hospital was the only other ED to score above 85 per cent.

Hamilton Base Hospital saw more than 80 per cent of their patients on time followed by the state's two hospitals for women, the Mercy Hospital for Women in Heidelberg (81.74 per cent) and the Royal Women’s Hospital (79.21 per cent).

Austin, Rosebud and Wodonga Hospitals, all of which saw more than 78 per cent of their patients on time, rounded out the top ten.

Monash Medical Centre in Clayton had the worst emergency departments delays in the state when ranked by percentage. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A third of patients were treated on time at Ballarat Base Hospital.

Speaking at the time of the quarterly data’s release earlier this month, health minister Mary-Anne Thomas said Victoria — like the rest of the world — was “in the midst of a record-breaking period of demand on our health system”.

“We are … building a system that will be stronger than ever moving forward,” she said.

Under their $12 billion pandemic repair plan, the government will double the virtual emergency department, deploy patient flow specialists across 12 major hospitals and recruit up to 7,000 healthcare workers.

Minister Thomas said they “never pretended there’s a quick fix”.

“All our healthcare workers are doing an incredible job under challenging circumstances – and this Government is ensuring they have all the support they need, to give Victorians the care they deserve faster,” she said.

Originally published as Victorian hospitals with worst emergency department delays revealed