Independent statistics released by the Bureau of Health Statistics for the quarter ending 31 March 2019 further reinforces the urgent need to boost funds to Wollongong Hospital in next week’s NSW Budget.
The number of patients presenting to Wollongong Hospital’s Emergency Department continues to grow as does the time that they are waiting to leave with the number of patients left within the Emergency Department after the recommended four hours treatment time increasing by more than 15 per cent since the same period last year.
Between January and March 2019 fewer than three in five patients (57.1 per cent) left the Emergency Department under the recommended four hours compared with 72.2 per cent for the same period last year and the same performance last quarter.
The median time for patients to leave the Emergency Department has also increased to 3 hours and 40 minutes.
The elective surgery waiting list continues to grow too, reaching a new record high of 2,599 patients awaiting surgery as at 31 March 2019, despite a reduction in the proportion of urgent cases on the waiting list.
Comments attributable to Paul Scully MP:
“Enough is enough. Despite the best efforts of staff at Wollongong Hospital, pressure on our hospital and health services is now crushing.
“At the end of March this year the number of patients waiting for elective surgery has increased, the number of patients waiting longer than the recommended 4 hours in the Emergency Department has increased, the median Emergency Department waiting time has increased and the number of patients being seen has increased.
“The crushing pressures that continue to build in our local health services must be addressed in next week’s budget and the Berejiklian Government must provide additional funding for services at Wollongong Hospital.
“In the last couple of weeks more than 1200 people have signed a petition calling for additional funding to allow more staff to be recruited and more beds to be opened – it’s time for the Health Minister to listen to the community’s calls for action.”
