Australia's peak training organisation for specialist emergency medicine says it's continuing to monitor the situation at Launceston General Hospital, describing the findings of a recent report as concerning.
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Last week research published in the International Emergency Nursing journal revealed harrowing accounts of the LGH emergency department operating in the face of "extreme crowding and organisational chaos", where patient safety was being routinely compromised though triage delays and the use of makeshift spaces.
Australasian College of Emergency Medicine Tasmania faculty chairman Dr Juan Carlos Ascencio-Lane, who in November last year called for a commitment from the government to addressing bed block at the hospital, said the report highlighted issues the college had been raising for some time.
"Our commitment remains to seeing these issues addressed," he said.
"We welcome recent and ongoing strong engagement from the department and minister, and believe there is a commitment to change and improvement from within the government.
"We are hopeful that progress is being made."
In other news:
Responding to the report last week, Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the government had done a lot to support the hospital in recent years.
She said a staffing boost had resulted in an increase of more than 100 FTE at the hospital in the last financial year, including 13 more allied health staff, 26 more nurses, and nearly 40 new doctors.
Capital improvements to improve ambulance access at the ED, including the hospital's airlock, also received funding in the 2020-21 state budget.
Ms Courtney said ED and Ambulance Tasmania staff would be consulted on the design.
However, a timeline for when the improvement works will commence has not been revealed.
Dr Ascencio-Lane said finding solutions at the hospital must remain a focus of the government.
"These have been longstanding issues and we acknowledge they take time to work though. However, finding solutions must remain a key priority," he said.
"We continue to monitor the situation and are eager to build on recent strong engagement from the minister and department, as we push to ensure things are done right, for the benefit of patients and staff."
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Jessica Willard
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
