After two years of Covid putting immense strain on the health system, we saw the devastation of the catastrophic floods in Feb/March this year that exacerbated that strain.

Yesterday NSW Health released the latest figures for the April to June quarter in regards to the impacted this had on our local hospitals, and their key performance indicators compared with other hospitals in our region (The Tweed, Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore Base, Casino, Murwillumbah, Grafton and Maclean). Lismore Base Hospital was impacted the most as it consistently displayed the lowest numbers in most categories.

The latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) Healthcare Quarterly report shows emergency department activity was high during the April to June 2022 quarter, as the Omicron wave continued to drive high COVID-19 cases and the flu season reached its peak.

The large number of COVID-19 and flu cases in the community not only presented serious challenges with an increase in complex presentations and admissions to our hospitals, but also due to significant staff unavailability as staff contracted or were exposed to respiratory illnesses.

In addition, following the significant floods in Northern NSW in February and March, hospital attendances rose once again as the recovery efforts continued throughout the region.

Across the District, there were 55,052 emergency department attendances during the April to June 2022 quarter (an increase of 2.7%) with Lismore Base Hospital recording a decrease of 5.4% compared to the same quarter in 2021 which is still the second most emergency department cases in Northern NSW behind The Tweed.

The majority of patients (68.9 per cent) started treatment on time during the quarter, which is above the NSW state average of 62.8 per cent. Unfortunately Lismore Base Hospital was below the state average recording a figure of 57.6% which was 9.8% down on 2021 (67.4%).

The transfer of patients from paramedics to ED staff within 30 minutes was 75%, above the state average (72.5%). Lismore Base Hospital was the worst performing hospital in Northern NSW at 63.2% which was down from 69.4% twelve months ago.

(Transfer of of patients from paramedics to ED staff within 30 minutes results for Northern NSW Local Health District)

More than seven in 10 patients (72.2 per cent) left the ED within four hours, also better than the NSW average (57.6 per cent). Lismore Base Hospital again reported a decrease of 4.9% in the corresponding period in 2021, 58.4% to 54% in 2022 just below the state average.

NNSWLHD Chief Executive Wayne Jones said the quarter had been marked by significant upheaval as communities across the Northern Rivers were coming to terms with the devastating weather events that affected every aspect of life.

“I want to pay tribute to the incredible work of our health teams during this period, when people were dealing with the personal and shared aftermath of these natural disasters,” Mr Jones said.

“The way our staff rallied together to support both their colleagues and our wider community was outstanding.”

The staged resumption of elective surgeries continued this quarter and the District continues to work incredibly hard to ensure patients requiring elective surgery procedures receive them as soon as possible.

A total of 3,402 elective surgeries were performed, a return to near pre-pandemic levels, and a significant jump on the prior quarter in which the floods significantly affected the ability to continue providing the usual levels of elective surgery.

“We are continuing to work closely with our private hospital partners to increase the number of public patients who are able to receive their surgery at private hospitals, as we work to reduce the impact of the recent disruptions on our waiting lists,” Mr Jones said.

“New models of care, such as the 23-hour joint replacement program at Lismore Base Hospital, have proven to be successful in reducing the number of days patients need to remain in hospital after surgery, freeing up resources to increase bed capacity.

“We want to thank the community for their understanding during this period of high activity. Any patients who feel their condition has deteriorated while waiting for their procedure are encouraged to contact their treating doctor for a clinical review and they can be placed in a higher urgency category if required.”

Between mid-2012 and mid-2022 NNSWLHD increased its workforce by an additional 1,127 full time equivalent staff - an increase of 29.9 per cent including 223 more doctors, 374 more nurses and midwives, and 132 more allied health staff.

The NSW Government is investing a record $33 billion in health as part of the 2022-23 NSW Budget. A record 10,148 full-time equivalent staff will be recruited to hospitals and health services across NSW over four years, as part of a $4.5 billion investment. The NSW Budget also includes $408 million over two years to fast-track elective surgeries and $899 million for the ongoing COVID-19 response.

INDIVIDUAL HOSPITAL RESULTS

BALLINA DISTRICT HOSPITAL had 4,700 ED attendances during the quarter. The majority of patients (63.6 per cent) started their treatment on time. More than seven in 10 patients (75.9 per cent) left the ED within four hours. Further, more than eight in 10 patients (85.2 per cent) were transferred from ambulance to ED staff within the 30-minute benchmark.

BYRON CENTRAL HOSPITAL had 5,516 ED attendances and the vast majority of patients (87.5 per cent) started their treatment on time, which is above the average for hospitals of a similar size in NSW (76.4 percent). More than eight in 10 patients (81.2 per cent) left the ED within four hours. Nearly all patients (95.1 per cent) were transferred from ambulance to ED staff within the 30-minute benchmark, above the average for hospitals of a similar size in NSW (91 per cent).

CASINO & DISTRICT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL had 3,736 ED attendances in the quarter. Almost eight in 10 patients (78.3 per cent) left the ED within four hours and the vast majority of patients (85.6 per cent) were transferred from ambulance to ED staff within the 30- minute benchmark.

GRAFTON BASE HOSPITAL had 6,914 ED attendances during this quarter. The majority of patients (64.6 per cent) started treatment on time, which is better than the average for hospitals of a similar size in NSW (63.9 percent). Seven in 10 patients (70 per cent) left the ED within four hours, also better than the average for comparable hospitals in NSW (61.2 per cent). More than eight in 10 patients (83 per cent) were transferred from ambulance to ED staff within the 30-minute benchmark, also above the average for hospitals of a similar size in NSW (80.6 per cent).

LISMORE BASE HOSPITAL had 9,537 ED attendances during the quarter. The majority of patients (57.6 percent) started treatment on time, slightly below the peer group average of 60.8 percent.

MACLEAN DISTRICT HOSPITAL had 3,995 ED attendances during the quarter, the highest on record for the site. More than eight in 10 patients (81 per cent) started their treatment on time, above the average for hospitals of a similar size in NSW (76.4 percent). Almost nine in 10 patients (88.5 per cent) left the ED within four hours, which is also above the average for comparable hospitals in NSW (79.3 per cent). Nearly all patients (91 per cent) were transferred from ambulance to ED staff within the 30-minute benchmark.

MURWILLUMBAH DISTRICT HOSPITAL had 4,383 ED attendances during the quarter. The majority of patients (74.5 per cent) started their treatment on time, which is better than the average for hospitals of a similar size in NSW (63.9 per cent). More than eight in 10 patients (81.7 per cent) left the ED within four hours, significantly better than the average for comparable hospitals in NSW (61.2 per cent). Almost all patients (94.4 per cent) were transferred from ambulance to ED staff within the 30-minute benchmark, also significantly better than the average for comparable hospitals in NSW (80.6 per cent).

THE TWEED HOSPITAL had 14,145 ED attendances during the quarter, the highest ever recorded at the site. The majority of patients (70.7 per cent) started their treatment on time, which is above the average for hospitals of a similar size in NSW (60.8 per cent). Almost seven in 10 patients (69.9 per cent) left the ED within four hours, also better than the average for comparable hospitals in NSW (54.7 per cent).