** High Priority **
Media Release (mug shot of Hayley McConnell attached)
Date: 1 September 2008
SITUATION AT WAIKATO HOSPITAL CRITICAL
Occupancy at Waikato Hospital is critical today at 109 per cent by 2pm with no respite in sight.
Sixteen patients are waiting for inpatient beds with only two projected to be available in the next six hours.
In addition, 64 patients are waiting in the emergency department continuing an upward trend which saw the record for
monthly attendances in the department broken by almost 200 last month.
Waikato Hospital group manager Hayley McConnell said weekend acute presentations and a full hospital from last week are
the main contributors.
"Our strategies to reduce occupancy such as cancellation of elective medical/surgery procedures and additional beds
opened, is not enough to manage the 40 beds required overnight," she said.
"It reduces our ability to receive inter-hospital transfers, referrals and other direct admissions."
In a memo to staff, Ms McConnell said clinical teams needed to accelerate transfers back to patients' home hospitals to
allow the hospital to manage acute admissions.
The emergency department last month saw 4779 patients up from 4455 in August 2007 and nearly 200 more than the previous
month's record in March this year of 4585 patients.
"We've opened more beds but unrelenting acute numbers and an overall increase in length of stay are contributing
factors," she said.
Waikato Hospital emergency department monthly patient figures:
2007 monthly totals
July 4345
August 4455
September 4408
October 4524
November 4417
December 4442
2008 monthly totals
January 4559
February 4239
March 4585
April 4207
May 4340
June 4334
July 4420
August 4779
ENDS