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Canberra Today 20°/24° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Report reveals prolonged emergency wait times

A NEW report shows that between October and December, only 56.8 per cent of people presenting to ACT hospitals spent four hours or less waiting in emergency departments.

The ACT Public Health Services Quarterly Performance Report revealed that just over half of those in emergency departments (EDs) were seen within the clinically recommended time.

Shadow Health Minister Leanne Castley has come out swinging at the ACT government in light of the findings, saying the situation is “only getting worse” under Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith.

“Her goal was to have 70 per cent of ED patients seen within the clinically recommended time of four hours by October 2021, which has clearly not eventuated,” said Ms Castley.

“In February last year, the Health Minister told the ABC that while Canberra ED wait times were the worst in the country, she would fix the problem within nine months. 18 months on it appears things are only getting worse.”

It comes as Canberrans were told  last week to stay away from EDs unless absolutely necessary due to intense demand. Ms Castley said hardworking nurses and doctors are at breaking point.

“Not only does Canberra continue to have the worst ED wait times in the country, but the Health Minister’s appalling report card includes suspending elective surgeries, refusing to provide free flu vaccines like all states have, specialist clinics being closed on a daily basis and 25 senior nurses leaving the intensive care unit over a six month period, nurses being attached and bullied with reviews into intensive care and cardiology, the government failing to meet new nurse to patient ratios and staff morale at rock bottom with more than one in eight workers planning to leave the system in two years,” said Ms Castley.

Hospital wait times worst in country

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One Response to Report reveals prolonged emergency wait times

Christopher Emery says: 29 June 2022 at 3:38 pm

It seems the decision to divert $billions into providing much slower public transport to Woden, instead of properly funding our hospitals is coming home to bite our Chief Minister.

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