Inadequate cooling systems at the Launceston General Hospital during the weekend’s heatwave put patient safety at risk, according to the Health and Community Services Union.
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Ward 6D was the worst-affected area, with the temperature reaching 31.7 degrees at 8pm on Sunday, HACSU assistant state secretary Robbie Moore said.
A Tasmanian Health Service spokesman said engineers had been engaged to examine the issue.
“Ward 6D is in an older area of the hospital where air conditioning was not installed when the hospital was first built,” he said.
“A number of measures were taken to minimise temperatures in the ward during the weekend’s heatwave, including the use of a portable air conditioner, industrial fans operating in the ward’s hallways and smaller fans being provided to individual patients.
“Hospital management acknowledges that, due to the prevailing heatwave conditions, temperatures did become uncomfortable for patients and staff despite the measures taken to ensure the area was kept as cool as possible.”
It is understood staff turned off the lights and closed the curtains in ward 6D in an attempt to cool the area down.
“Staff said 11 patients complained,” Mr Moore said.
“They only had one cooling device for the ward, which they had to rotate from different patients as others complained or weren’t well because of the heat.”
Mr Moore said the conditions were “unacceptable”.
“Staff were having to change the beds continuously because of the heat and the sweat.
“There were also issues on level 5 and other wards in other areas as well, although 6D was by far the worst.
“There was one example on another ward where they had to use IV drips simply because of the heat.”
He said staff indicated to the union they were “very concerned” about what it could mean for patient outcomes if there was another heatwave.
“This sort of weather is not unfamiliar and could well happen again.
“We’d be very keen to know what the government’s doing and management is doing in terms of getting ready for the next likely heatwave.
“There was also a staff member who had to go home sick because of the heat and staff were very unwell. The staff were unwell because of the heat and that jeopardised patient safety.”
The spokesman said the Tasmanian Health Service was not aware of any staff member going home sick because of the conditions at the hospital.
