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Our hospital doctors, nurses, staff, deserve credit
The doctors and other staff in our pubic hospitals deserve recognition for their contribution towards improvements to Victoria’s hospital system, says AMA Victoria President Dr Mark Yates.
Commenting on the report of the Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision released today, Dr Yates said: “The Victorian Government deserves praise for increased funding which has helped underpin improvements achieved in recent years but it has also taken enormous commitment and effort from the doctors, nurses and other staff who are working under enormous pressure to maintain quality services managing more patients than ever before with less bed capacity than the national average.”
Dr Yates said Victorian hospitals were under enormous pressure to meet demand and the State Government needed to continue to increase funding for both public hospital and mental health services.
“We are urging the state government to open more intensive care beds, open more acute beds and provide the funds to replace ageing equipment in our hospitals.”
The most recent review of Intensive Care Resources by the Australian & New Zealand Intensive Care Society Research Centre for Critical Care Resources found that in the 2002/03 year Victoria had significantly fewer intensive care (ICU) beds per capita than the other States.
“Victoria has a shortfall of some 70 ICU beds compared with the national average,” Dr Yates said.
“This shortfall means very sick patients must be managed without this level of support or must risk transfer from one hospital to another. It also means that even a minimal increase in unexpected emergency cases leads to the cancellation of urgent elective surgery cases. “
Dr Yates said a Victorian Healthcare Association review in mid 2005 highlighted the very significant proportion of hospital equipment which was well beyond its “use by” date.
“For doctors and other staff to provide the highest quality care they must have equipment they can rely on,” Dr Yates said.
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