Campbelltown Hospital records drop in ED wait times

Campbelltown Hospital’s emergency department has bucked a statewide trend in bringing down emergency department wait times.

• NSW Election 2019: Candidates revealed for Macarthur region
• Brides left fuming with wedding venue cancellation

Campbelltown Hospital’s emergency department has bucked a statewide trend in bringing down emergency department wait times.

This is despite almost 2000 more people using the service than in the same period last year.

The Bureau of Health Information’s latest quarterly statistics show the number of people presenting to the hospital’s emergency department between October and December last year was 19,791 — up from 17,912 in the same period during 2017.

Despite the increase in demand, ED staff managed to bring down wait times from 73 minutes to 57 minutes for 90 per cent of patients classified as urgent. Half of people who presented as urgent were treated within 14 minutes.

Doctors from Campbelltown Hospital’s emergency department with mum Cerys and baby Oliver whose life they helped save last year. Picture: Simon Bullard

Wait times for the highest category of patients — emergency — had a slight increase to 21 minutes for 90 per cent of patients. Half the total patients had to wait only seven minutes.

However, the average time spent in the ED for 90 per cent of patients across all categories increased from eight hours and 28 minutes to eight hours and 46 minutes, with the remaining 10 per cent spending longer, well above the NSW average of seven hours and 19 minutes.

The overall number of patients treated and discharged was 11,023, while 6873 were admitted to hospital after treatment.

IN OTHER NEWS

MAN, 37, CHARGED WITH JAMIE PHILLIPS MURDER

WHATSAPP MESSAGES JAIL RIGHT-WING SUPREMACIST

CAMDEN TOWNSHIP TO WELCOME NEW ROUNDABOUT

There was an increase in patients leaving without treatment, from 1549 to 1705.

In the lead up to the March 23 NSW election, both major political parties have committed to increasing staff at Campbelltown Hospital.

The Liberal Party has committed to an extra 822 new staff across the South West Health District which includes Campbelltown and Liverpool hospitals.

Work is also set to begin on the $632 million redevelopment of Campbelltown Hospital in the coming months.

Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment artist impressions.

Campbelltown state Labor MP Greg Warren said NSW Labor would mandate nurse-to-patient ratios, including one to three in emergency departments and one to four in general wards.

“In many cases we’re hearing stories about nurses working eight patients at a time,” he said.

Campbelltown paediatrician Andrew McDonald and Labor MP Greg Warren.

Former Macquarie Fields Labor MP and paediatrician Andrew McDonald said Campbelltown Hospital staff were struggling to meet the increasing demand placed on them by the region’s growth.

“What we haven’t seen is a commitment from this state government to staff the hospital to levels that are equivalent with the rest of Sydney,” he said.

“Simply, when staffing numbers don’t meet demand the care isn’t as good.”