The bottleneck at Dunedin Hospital's emergency department must be fixed but the hospital's other wards and services are "wonderful", a Grey Power member told representatives from Dunedin Hospital at a special meeting yesterday.
Her view was largely representative of the feedback of Grey Power members at Mosgiel's Senior Citizens Centre who aired their experiences of the department.
About 35 attended the meeting and about a dozen spoke up.
Their feedback will be used in the hospital's 6 hours - It matters! project to meet a six-hour target for treatment/discharge for 95% of patients.
Getting through the emergency department was considered by many speakers to be an onerous and unreasonable hurdle to the hospital's well-functioning and efficient wards.
Many speakers paid tribute to the ward staff and the care they had received, often during extended stays.
Lack of communication in the department emerged as a key problem - patients not being told when they were likely to be treated, why they were being shifted around in the department, and why they were not allowed to eat or drink. Some endured nine- to 10-hour waits for treatment.
Speakers paid tribute to the St John Friends of the Emergency Department, volunteers who assist and comfort patients.
Southern DHB Otago chief operating officer Vivian Blake told members the feedback was "invaluable" and would be used for the 6 hours - It matters! project.
While much of what she was hearing was not new, the feedback helped her see consistent patterns.
Mrs Blake said much could be improved without spending extra money, and a big part of the problem was avoidable delays in many parts of the hospital system.
Grey Power Otago president Jo Millar, who organised the meeting, told members she felt very positive about the ED improvement project, as officials had taken the right approach.
