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St Vincent’s Hospital under pressure
16 May 2008
St Vincent’s Hospital is under enormous pressure and locals are missing out on clinically appropriate care, according to AMA Victoria President Dr Doug Travis, following the release this week of the Your Hospitals report.
“St Vincent’s Hospital is struggling to cope with the increase in demand. Its performance has declined and fewer patients are being treated within the recommended times,” says Dr Travis.
Since the last reporting period, St Vincent’s Hospital’s emergency department presentations grew bysevenper cent and Dr Travis says locals and staff felt the pressure. “Ambulance bypass increased,emergency department patients waited longer to be treatedand only 64 per cent of patients were admitted to a bed within the clinically-recommended eight hours.
“This just isn’t good enough,” says Dr Travis. “All patients should be treated within the clinically appropriate times.”
“It’s a real credit to the doctors, nurses and other staff at St Vincent’s Hospital for coping with the rising demand so far, but ultimately, we need more funding and more beds to improve health care in growing metropolitan areas.”
Dr Travis says record numbers of Victorians are missing out on clinically appropriate care in the state’s public hospitals.
“More than 200,000 Victorians missed out on clinically appropriate care from July to December last year.
“Productivity is slowing across the state and the State Government has failed 6 of its 9 own performance benchmarks.”
The State Budget has delivered some capital infrastructure investments across the state but Dr Travis says much more is needed.
“Victoria’s population is growing and ageing. We need to see more beds to alleviate pressures on emergency departments. It’s time for the government to take action to improve our public hospitals.”
Background
The State Government’s Your Hospitals report, published biannually, measures the performance of all Victorian public hospitals. It is available at: www.health.vic.gov.au/yourhospitals
For St Vincent’s Hospital, the report shows that compared with the last reporting period:
· Hospital bypass rose by 333 per cent;
· There was a seven per cent drop in the hospital’s capacity to see triage category three patients (with moderately severe blood loss, severe breathing difficulties, major fractures) within the clinically appropriate 30 minutes;
· The number of patients not admitted and with a length of stay less than four hours dropped seven per cent;
· The hospital’s capacity to admit patients requiring a bed within eight hours dropped 16 per cent.
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