Record presentations to Hawke’s Bay Emergency Department

Record presentations to Hawke’s Bay Emergency Department

Presentations to Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s Emergency Department hit a record number yesterday and doctors are urging people to seek non urgent care from accident and medical centres or from their family doctor.

Chief medical officer for the hospital John Gommans said 166 people presented to the Emergency Department yesterday in the 24 hour period midnight to midnight.

“People presented with a variety of medical conditions and injuries. There didn’t seem to be any particular reason for the increase, however the hospital had been experiencing a continued increase in demand for several months, with ED presentations up 11 percent in February.

“People needed to keep the Hospital Emergency Department free for emergencies. There had been a number of people presenting that could have been treated at a GP run Accident and Medical centre for minor finger and leg injuries and people turning up when they had run out of medication and needed it urgently was frustrating for doctors.

“There were simple things like seeing a doctor early when you felt unwell, making sure prescriptions were up-to-date, keeping a general medical kit on hand which had the basics such as rehydration medication for diarrhoea and vomiting. Healthline was also available 0800 611 116 for free advice from a trained registered nurse, which was available all of the time. These steps could make a difference,” he said.

Chief Medical Officer, primary care, Mark Peterson said general practice was also experiencing an increase in demand with presentations up five percent in February.

Dr Peterson said it was important to stay at home when you were sick and keep unwell children home to help prevent bugs from spreading through the community.

Dr Peterson said people should make an appointment with their family doctor when they felt unwell and to check they weren’t going to run out of medication late at night. Easter is approaching so people should check their medication to make sure they had enough to cover them over that period as well.

Hastings Health Centre’s Accident and Medical Centre is open until 8pm daily as are The Doctors Hastings and Napier, the Medical Injury Centre Hastings, Totara Health Hastings and Flaxmere. City Medical in Napier is open 24/7.

ED usually treats between 115 and 120 patients a day. The previous record was 156 patients.

ENDS

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