Ills of winter stretch hospital

Dunedin Hospital has been stretched this week as winter ills hit the city's health system.

Dr Nigel Millar. Photo: ODT

Four additional beds have been opened in the hospital's emergency department, staff have been working overtime and further recruiting is taking place to cope with the demand.

In recent days, the hospital has been ''access block'' at times, meaning beyond 100% capacity was reached throughout the facility.

St John and medical centres in the city are also reporting pressure from winter illnesses with medical centres fielding requests from the Southern District Health Board to take further casual patients.

''The ED in Dunedin Hospital has been extremely busy in the past couple of weeks but especially so in the past few days,'' Southern DHB chief medical officer Dr Nigel Millar said.

''Medical, nursing and support staff have been working very hard to keep up with demand including working long shifts, overtime and calling at times for extra staff.

''We have opened four additional beds and are currently recruiting staff to enable us to increase this even further.

''Our staff are doing a fantastic job and have gone above and beyond their usual duties to ensure that we continue to provide high levels of care to our patients during this busy period.''

Patients presenting at the emergency department with minor injuries or illness could expect longer waiting times, and the hospital was encouraging those patients to make an appointment with their family doctor or call Healthline.

''We have to prioritise to ensure that those who are the sickest are treated with priority,'' Dr Millar said.

The torrent of patients was seasonal, but was not due to any one cause.

''Patients of all ages are attending with a wide range of illnesses and injuries exacerbated by winter conditions,'' he said.

Southern DHB chief operating officer Lexie O'Shea said the hospital had been at capacity, and beyond, because of the influx.

''The impact of this is that patients may wait longer in ED or outpatients before being admitted to a bed in hospital, or wait longer to undergo surgery,'' Mrs O'Shea said.

''Patients continue to be assessed, treated and monitored according to the seriousness of their condition.

''While we reiterate the message that emergency departments must be kept for emergencies - and we encourage people to call Healthline, or visit their GP or after hours doctors for non-urgent situations - the public should not avoid attending the emergency department if they need to.''

Aurora Health Centre practice manager Sharon Smith said the pressure on the emergency department had flowed on to the practice.

''We have been asked if we would take casuals from ED, but at this stage we haven't been able to,'' she said.

The centre had one fewer doctor this winter which increased pressure.

''We are certainly full, but we haven't got quite as many doctors,'' she said.

''July and August are always our big months with coughs and colds and general flu-like bugs that go around.''

Forbury Corner Health Centre owner Dr Alison Gaston said the practice had treated several patients per day with flu-like illnesses recently despite ''really good rates of immunisations''.

St John Coastal Otago area manager Doug Third said ambulance crews had also been busy in recent weeks.

''The flu season is here and the ills affect everybody's health, particularly the elderly,'' he said.

St John clinical operations director Norma Lane said nationally calls for service in June increased by 8% compared to last year.

''With July and August traditionally the busiest months for St John, emergency ambulance responses are likely to increase from an average of 1170 incidents a day to 1333 a day,'' she said.

''Last week St John had an average of 1373 incidents a day, the busiest week in our history.''

• Healthline: 0800 611-116.

timothy.brown@odt.co.nz