Less than 65 per cent of emergency department presentations at Launceston General Hospital are seen within the recommended time frame, according to the latest Tasmanian Health Service annual report.
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Released on Tuesday, the 2017-18 report shows LGH failed to reach the key performance indicator target of 80 per cent for emergency department presentations, averaging 64.63 per cent across all quarters.
The figures mark an almost 4 per cent decrease from the 2016-17 report, which showed the LGH averaged 68.5 per cent.
At Royal Hobart Hospital, 52.15 per cent of emergency department presentations were seen within the recommended time frame, down more than 7 per cent from the year before.
Burnie’s North West Regional Hospital averaged 80.9 per cent, while Mersey Community Hospital averaged 76.6 per cent.
In other news:
According to the latest performance report, LGH did achieve its target for the percentage of all emergency department presentations that did not wait to be seen.
Targets were also met for the percentage of triage 1 emergency department presentations seen within the recommended time frame.
During his ministerial statement in parliament on Tuesday, Health Minister Michael Ferguson acknowledged the increase in demand on hospital services, including a 15 per cent growth in emergency department presentations.
“Between 2016 and now, annual demand on our ED departments has risen by more than 7,000 patients. But it is not only the number of patients that has grown,” he said.
“The complexity of patients that our hospitals are seeing has increased, meaning that we have more patients coming through the front door – more patients, needing longer stays and a higher level of care.”
Mr Ferguson will host a series of public health forums across the state next week, including at the Tramsheds Function Centre on Tuesday, October 23 from 6pm.
For more information, email amber.whatman@health.tas.gov.au or call 6166 3679.
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