Almost 2000 people present to Blacktown Hospital ED over holidays

Almost 2000 people turned up at Blacktown Hospital’s emergency department over the holiday season, prompting a reminder from health officials that not every issue requires a trip to hospital.

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Health officials have issued a reminder that not all ailments require a trip to hospital, after western Sydney emergency departments were flooded over the holiday season.

Between December 21 and January 1, a whopping 1864 patients were treated at Blacktown ED while nearly seven extra ambulances turned up each day on average.

That represented the sharpest increase in presentations across Western Sydney Local Health District hospitals during the holidays at 6.63 per cent, compared to the same time in 2017.

ED staff at Blacktown Hospital.

The surge has continued into the new year, with 322 emergency presentations Blacktown and Mt Druitt on Wednesday, January 2 — an increase of 74 people on last year’s data.

Westmead Hospital saw more than 2750 patients over the holidays. Its ED director Dr Matthew Vukasovic said Christmas Day was “particularly busy” in 2018.

“Our emergency departments have done a magnificent job to manage the busy Christmas, New Year and holiday period,” he said.

An aerial view of Blacktown Hospital’s upgrade. Picture: Supplied

A new system introduced at Blacktown, called Project Red, has been credited for helping streamline the flow of patients through its ED.

The latest data from the Bureau of Health Statistics showed a steady increase in emergency presentations, but revealed waiting times also improved compared to 2017 levels.

The median waiting time for the 13,618 patients who presented to Blacktown’s ED in the July to September quarter of 2018 was three hours and 39 minutes — down from three hours and 48 minutes in 2017.

Blacktown Hospital has won a Premier's Award for its ProjectRed project, which has slashed waiting times in its emergency department.

Blacktown Hospital is currently undergoing the second stage of a $750 million redevelopment, which will see a new emergency department open by mid-2019.

Community members are reminded to visit their GP or a medical centre if they have a non-life threatening or not serious matter, instead of presenting to hospital.

During the summer months people are also encouraged to take health precautions, including moderating the consumption of alcohol, being diligent around water and staying hydrated.