Royal Hobart Hospital has activated level four of its escalation plan in response to increased demand in the emergency department.
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RHH executive director of operations Susan Gannon said escalations were a normal way for hospitals to help manage higher demand period.
As of Monday afternoon, there were 58 people in the RHH ED. Of those 58, 10 were receiving care in the ED and were awaiting transfer to a ward.
The escalation in Hobart comes after an escalation at the Launceston General Hospital, which was dubbed by the union as “the worst 24 hours” in the emergency department this year.
A Tasmania Health Service spokesman said 130 people presented to the emergency department across 24 hours from September 11, with 41 bed requests.
Dr Gannon said escalation plans enabled additional resources to be used to help ensure patients receive the care and services they need.
“While we have escalated to level four [this morning], the actions we have implemented internally, including those under the government’s ED package have improved patient flow and lead to fewer high escalations,” Dr Gannon said.
“We thank our dedicated hospital staff who are working hard to continue delivering the very best patient care at this time of increased demand,” she said.