Alice Springs Hospital Code Yellow lifted exactly one week from being issued

The Code Yellow called for Alice Springs Hospital has been lifted by NT Health a week after it was activated due to a rise in ‘flu-like’ and ‘complex medical’. Read the details.

Alice Springs Hospital. Picture: Gera Kazakov

UPDATE – July 29, 12pm: The Code Yellow called at Alice Springs Hospital last week has been lifted.

The news was announced by an NT Health spokesman on Tuesday, exactly a week after it was first called.

It follows after the health facility experiencing weeks of “higher than usual demand” with a number of patients presenting with “complex medical” issues.

“The Code Yellow was issued in response to an increase in the number of complex medical presentations and patients with flu-like symptoms,” a spokesman said.

“Due to a number of measures being implemented, demand pressures have eased and patient flow at the hospital has improved.

“We thank the community for their patience and kindness during these periods of high demand.”

People experiencing a health emergency were still urged to call Triple-0 and ask for an ambulance.

Anyone unsure of how to manage an illness or injury has been urged to see a doctor, visit www.healthdirect.gov.au or call Healthdirect for free on 1800 022 222.

The call to issue the Code Yellow at Alice Springs happened three weeks after the same alarm was issued at Royal Darwin Hospital and Palmerston Hospital for the first time in almost a year.

Updated- July 23: A Code Yellow call at Alice Springs Hospital was “helpful,” according to the vice president of the Territory’s medical association, as the Health Minister says people are coming in “sicker than the hospital would normally expect”.

AMA NT vice president Dr Dayna Duncan praised the Territory’s health department for on Tuesday afternoon calling a Code Yellow, which she said “allowed all resources needed to be mobilised so that clinicians can be best supported in caring for their patients”.

Dr Duncan said Alice Springs Hospital health workers were “used to working under high pressure” but it “is of course tough when there are high numbers of cases coming through”.

Alice Springs hospital. Picture: Gera Kazakov

“It means longer hours, double shifts, it means trying to cover more people with fewer resources. But for a short period of time it is something that’s manageable,” she said.

“We just need to make sure that it turns around so that we can get back to our usual business and a more sustainable model of delivering healthcare for, for the medium to longer term.

“That’s why I think the calling of this Code Yellow has been so helpful is that it mobilises all the resources available to support those clinicians so that we can get back to our usual operations as quickly as possible and avoid staff burnout.”

Dr Duncan said it was “not worth dwelling or commenting on the past” when asked if the department has improved it’s messaging around calling a Code Yellow.

NT health minister Steve Edgington. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Territory Health Minister Steve Edgington said the call was made by NT Health after “an increase in patients with flu-like symptoms where they were sicker than the hospital would normally expect”.

“While Alice Springs Hospital has been managing higher than usual demand over the past few weeks, this has increased over the last couple of days, putting increased pressure on the health system,” he said.

“To manage the situation, a Code Yellow was called at Alice Springs Hospital by the NT Health CEO and his management team, in line with the NT Health Capacity Management Plan.”

The Code Yellow was called on Tuesday afternoon. No date has been set for when it will be lifted.

The Alice Springs urgent care clinic is still open for non-emergencies, and emergency services can still be reached via triple-0, Mr Edgington said.

Dr Duncan said those eligible should get their flu shots should do so, and urged anyone who is unwell to stay home.

“Wash your hands, wear masks to try and prevent the spread of this illness so that we can get back to normal operations as quickly as possible,” she said.

Alice hospital code yellow: ‘Capacity challenges’

INITIAL – July 22: “Complex medical presentations” are causing “capacity challenges” for Alice Springs hospital, according to the NT Department of Health, which has now put the hospital under a code yellow.

The department made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, and gave no date as to when the code yellow will be lifted.

The code yellow was caused due to “complex medical presentations and an increase in patients with flu-like symptoms” presenting at the hospital, leading to “capacity challenges,” an alert from the department said.

The code yellow has been implemented in line with the NT Health capacity management plan, the alert states.

The main entry to Alice Springs Hospital. Picture: Gera Kazakov

“As part of this work, a range of measures have been implemented to ease pressure and improve patient flow and discharges,” the alert said.

“NT Health strongly encourages Territorians to be vigilant for symptoms of influenza and flu-like illnesses, and remember to wash your hands frequently, stay home from work, school and childcare while you are unwell with symptoms, and be up to date with yearly vaccinations.

“By preventing illness and being proactive with managing illness if you become unwell, it will help reduce the pressure on health services.

“Please be kind to our staff during these periods of high demand.”

The Alice Springs urgent care clinic is still open, according to the alert, and in emergency services can still be reached on triple-0.

The Alice Springs Hospital code yellow comes a little over a week after the department put Darwin and Palmerston hospital under a code yellow.

The Top End code yellow lifted on July 14, while no date has been given for when the code yellow will lift in Alice Springs.