X

EMERGENCY

In an emergency, always call triple zero (000) for an ambulance. Ambulances are the safest way to be assessed, treated and transported to the right hospital for the care you need.

Triple zero (000) is a free call from any phone, mobile or phone box.

For less severe but still urgent situations, go to an Emergency Department.

There are 12 public hospital Emergency Departments in Northern NSW Local Health District and they are all available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Emergency departments are located at:

Published: 15 Dec 2021

Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) continued to provide high quality and safe care during the Delta outbreak, which started mid-June 2021. The Delta variant had a pronounced impact and was the most challenging quarter for the NSW Health system since Bureau of Health Information reporting began.

Emergency departments across NNSWLHD saw just shy of 50,000 attendances in the July to September quarter of this year according to the latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) quarterly report.

The report, which measures hospital performance across the state, showed a 4.7 per cent increase in activity in Northern NSW emergency departments compared with the same quarter in 2020, despite stay-at-home restrictions across Local Government Areas in Northern NSW during the reporting quarter.

A total of 49,811 people attended Northern NSW EDs for treatment. This also included 9,038 patients arriving by ambulance, an 8.5 per cent increase on the same quarter in 2020.

Across the LHD, 72.9 per cent of people left the ED within 4 hours, a 2.6 per cent decrease on the comparable quarter but above the state average of 67.5 per cent.

NNSWLHD Chief Executive Wayne Jones said the results show the region’s health services coped well under the pressure of COVID-19 Delta and thanked staff for their ongoing dedication to their patients.

“I want to thank our hardworking staff for continuing to provide our community with high-quality and safe care throughout the Delta outbreak. While we are still on high alert and prepared for any increased demand, we are seeing hospital activities and attendances get back to normal levels,” Mr Jones said.

“With the state opening up and restrictions continuing to ease, we naturally expect to see greater numbers of people presenting to hospital once again.

“We also anticipate more visitors from other areas coming into the region, especially during the summer break, but our health services are primed and ready should COVID-19 hospitalisations increase.”

There were 261 presentations categorised as T1: resuscitation, the most urgent triage category, the same number as the comparable quarter, while T2, T3 and T4 categories saw increases of 4.3 per cent, 8.0 per cent, and 2.9 per cent respectively.

Elective Surgery

During July to September 2021, 3,905 elective surgeries were performed, 4.6 percent fewer than in the same quarter in 2020. The median waiting time for urgent elective surgery decreased by 1 day, to an average of 14 days. Patients on the waiting list at the end of the quarter decreased to 5,727, a 5.9 per cent drop.

More surgeries were performed on time across all urgency categories when compared to the same quarter in 2020. Almost all urgent procedures (99.5 per cent) were completed on time, with 81.3 per cent of semi-urgent, and 83.5 per cent of non-urgent surgeries performed on time.

The 2021-22 budget for Northern NSW Local Health District is over $946 million, an increase of nearly $33 million, or 3.6 per cent more, than the previous year’s budget.

 

INDIVIDUAL HOSPITAL RESULTS

BALLINA DISTRICT HOSPITAL had 4,092 ED attendances, a 4.1 per cent decrease on the same quarter last year. 72.2 per cent of patients started their treatment on time, with 76.9 per cent leaving the ED within 4 hours. The median time to leave the ED was 2 hours and 14 minutes.

BYRON CENTRAL HOSPITAL saw 4,876 people attend the emergency department, a 0.6 per cent drop on the comparable quarter. 81.7 per cent of patients started their treatment on time, above the state average of 74.5 per cent. 80.9 per cent of patients left the ED within 4 hours, with the median time from arrival to leaving the ED being 1 hour and 53 minutes.

CASINO & DISTRICT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL had 3,332 people attend the ED in the July-September quarter, a 21.4 per cent increase on the same quarter in 2020. Despite this significant increase in attendance, 67.6 per cent of patients started treatment on time, with 84.6 per cent leaving the ED within 4 hours. The median time spent in the ED was 1 hour and 40 minutes.

GRAFTON BASE HOSPITAL had 6,576 people attend its ED the last quarter, a 9.9 per cent increase in activity. 74.3 per cent of patients started their treatment on time, with the median time from arriving to leaving at 2 hours and 21 minutes. 72.4 per cent of patients left within 4 hours.

LISMORE BASE HOSPITAL saw 9,563 attendances, with a 7.7 per cent increase in arrivals by ambulance. 55.6 per cent of patients left the ED within 4 hours, with the median time at 3 hours and 35 minutes.

MACLEAN DISTRICT HOSPITAL had 3,436 attendances, a 22.6 per cent increase in activity. 70.1 per cent of patients started their treatment on time, with 88.4 per cent leaving the ED within 4 hours.

MURWILLUMBAH DISTRICT HOSPITAL had 4,117 attendances, an increase of 2.7 per cent, this included 331 arrivals by ambulance, a 6.1 per cent increase. 81.8 per cent of patients started their treatment on time and 84.2 per cent left the ED within 4 hours, with median time at 1 hour and 43 minutes.

THE TWEED HOSPITAL had 11,706 people attend in the July-September quarter, a 3.1 per cent increase. This included 2,725 arrivals by ambulance, a 10.6 per cent increase. 77.9 per cent of patients started their treatment on time, with the median time spent in ED at 2 hours and 41 minutes.