Date: 1 August 2008
Waikato Hospital Occupancy Too High
Patient occupancy at Waikato Hospital could go 5 per cent above capacity this weekend, hospital bosses warned today.
Already there have been major disruptions to elective surgeries at the hospital, said group manager Hayley McConnell and
the number of acute admissions continued trending upwards this morning.
Staff opened more beds but projections for the weekend showed no let up in comparison to average occupancy over a
weekend.
A memo sent today alerted accident and medical centres, resthomes and all Midland and Waikato DHB hospitals to the
situation.
"This reduces the timely ability to receive inter-hospital transfers, referrals and other admissions," said Ms
McConnell.
"We also need to accelerate transfers back to patients' home hospitals and discharge patients earlier."
Waikato Hospital's adult and children's ward capacity is 484 beds.
"Our bed admission and discharge projections show a higher than normal occupancy tracking into and over the whole
weekend.
"Normal weekend occupancy is below 95 per cent.
"At midday today occupancy forecast was 105 per cent; reaching 108 per cent by Monday."
ENDS