Higher patient rate impacts ED target

FILE

Rotorua Hospital's emergency department is continuing to see growing numbers of patients, making meeting a proposed waiting-time target difficult.

The latest round of results for the national health targets show Lakes District Health Board has held steady in most areas - including shorter stays in the emergency department,which has a target that aims to have patients admitted, discharged or transferred from ED within six hours.

Lakes fell just short of the 95 per cent target, holding steady at 91 per cent - the same as last quarter.

Spokeswoman Sue Wilkie said the peak volumes in patients experienced through the winter months had reduced slightly through September and October, but the number of people seeking treatment in the emergency department was still about 5 per cent up on the corresponding period the previous year.

Miss Wilkie said the board expected another big jump in December and January, with patient numbers similar to those experienced through winter.

"The increase in ED presentations does add pressure on an already busy department and hospital.

"The health board urges people to consider making an appointment with their GP for non-urgent matters, and keeping EDs for emergencies."

Miss Wilkie said with Christmas coming up, people with long-term conditions were being encouraged to make sure they had enough medicine and supplies over the holiday period, were up to date with tests and other health needs, and knew where they could go for after-hours medical care.

The target result for more heart and diabetes checks had continued its steady upward climb and now stood at 88, two points off the target of 90 per cent of the eligible population to have had their cardiovascular risk assessed in the last five years.

The increased immunisation for quarter 1 had nudged up another two points to 91 per cent.

The target would move from 90 to 95 per cent by December 2014 and child health staff were putting significant focus on further improving systems to enable them to reach the target, Miss Wilkie said.

The first-quarter result for better help for smokers to quit had Lakes again exceeding the target of 95 per cent of patients in hospital who smoked being offered brief advice and support to quit smoking. In that aspect the Lakes' rating sat at 98 per cent and top of the country.