It’s been a year since Lismore went into Covid lockdown and it seems we are getting back to normal in many ways – including in our local hospitals. 

According to latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) quarterly report, hospitals in the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) recorded close to pre-pandemic levels of emergency department activity in the October-December 2020 quarter. There were also more elective surgeries conducted than during the same period in 2019.  

While overall presentations across the District were slightly below 2019 figures, Lismore, Ballina, Byron and Grafton and all saw record numbers of Emergency Department (ED) attendances – higher than any quarter previously reported by the BHI. 

Lismore Base Hospital

At Lismore Base Hospital, the ED recorded 10,372 attendances (15 more attendances than the same quarter in 2019). Arrivals by ambulance increased by approximately 13% or 327 to 2,828 and nearly 65% of patients started treatment on time. A total of 1,397 elective surgeries were performed, (up 4.4%) and all urgent surgeries were performed on time.  

Across the district, emergency department (ED) attendances during October to December 2020 were relatively stable , with 54,687 ED attendances for the quarter, down just 1.5%, compared with 2019.

Triage

Increases in presentations were seen in the Triage 1 resuscitation category, with 15.2% (or 37) more presentations compared to the same quarter in 2019. There were 5.4% (or 310) more Triage 2

Emergency category presentations compared to 2019, up to 6,091. 

Presentations in the semi-urgent and non-urgent triage categories were down by 4.5% and 4.3% respectively.  

The report showed 74.3% of patients started treatment on time, which was relatively stable, slightly down on the same quarter in 2019.  

Covid-safe care

NNSWLHD Chief Executive Wayne Jones said as the COVID-19 pandemic continued, the extra requirements of COVID-safe care had now become embedded across the hospital setting. 

“Our staff are taking every precaution to keep our health facilities and our communities safe when assessing and triaging patients coming into our hospitals,” Mr Jones said.  

“This means they need to use additional personal protective equipment where required, and screen patients for possible exposure to COVID-19, which can add extra time on to the usual triage process.  

“Our staff are doing an incredible job at providing compassionate and expert care under difficult circumstances, and I want to acknowledge their continued efforts over the past 12 months.”

Elective surgeries

In the October to December 2020 quarter, 3.3% or 127 more elective surgeries were performed, up to 3,988, compared to 3,861 in the same period in 2019. Almost all (99.9 %) of the 860 urgent elective surgeries were performed on time. 

“We’ve worked hard to increase our elective surgery activity throughout the second half of 2020, to address those cases that were overdue following postponement of elective surgery during the COVID lockdown, which was directed by National Cabinet,” Mr Jones said. 

Budget and workforce

The NSW Government has invested an extra $458.5 million to fast-track elective surgeries which were delayed as a result of the Federal Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring patients will be booked into public or private hospitals as soon as possible. 

Between mid-2012 and mid-2020 the Northern NSW Local Health District increased its workforce by an additional 1008 full time equivalent staff – an increase of 26.7% – including 171 more doctors, 367 more nurses and midwives, and 121 more allied health staff. 

The 2020-21 budget for Northern NSW Local Health District was more than $926 million – an increase of almost $39 million, or 4.4%, on the 2019-20 budget.