Mersey Community Hospital emergency department to reopen for limited hours

The emergency department at the Mersey Community Hospital is set to reopen soon — but its operating hours will be limited.

The Mersey Community Hospital’s emergency department will soon reopen, but for limited hours.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney said with the North West Regional Hospital fully recommissioned from Friday, a reset plan had been developed to ensure continued safe delivery of services at the Mersey Community Hospital.

“Importantly, this plan will mean the Emergency Department is expected to reopen on 31 May, with operating hours from 8am to 10pm,” Ms Courtney said.

“I’m committed to having that emergency department operating 24/7. However, that needs to be taken on clinical advice.”

The Mersey Community Hospital. Picture: PATRICK GEE

She said it was important for people in the area to call triple-0 if unwell through the night.

“I’d like to assure the whole community in that region that while the emergency department is closed overnight, we will continue to ensure that emergency services are available in your community, and we will make sure paramedics are able to be there to support you,” she said.

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Ms Courtney said the reset plan would be staged to allow for a range of actions to take place before the reopening.

“There will be deep cleaning of high risk areas, including the ED, as they are vacated by patients or groups temporarily occupying them,” she said.

“We are implementing a number of capital works based on infectious disease specialist advice to strengthen our response capability.

“We’re recruiting additional infection prevention and control nursing staff to co-ordinate and support a range of critical infection control training and monitoring activities, and I note we have recently appointed an infectious disease physician for the North-West.”

Health Minister Sarah Courtney. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

The COVID-19 training package is being rolled out, and a review is taking place into ordering and delivery systems to ensure continued availability of items such as PPE, she said.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch reminded Tasmanians not to become complacent.

“It’s really only by being tested when you’ve got those coughs and colds that we’ll have confidence that coronavirus isn’t about,” he said.

He said he would not be confident in saying the virus had been eradicated in the state until there had been many weeks of testing up to 1000 people per day with no confirmed cases.