Elective surgeries are being processed faster than the same time last year, a report released this week reveals.
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The Bureau of Health Information’s Hospital Quarterly shows urgent and semi-urgent cases at Armidale Hospital are being processed around three days quicker compared to the 2016 April to June quarter.
“We’re really pleased with our elective surgery results,” Hunter New England Health Executive Director, Rural and Regional Health Services, Susan Heyman said.
“All patients received their surgery within the clinically recommended timeframe which is a really good achievement.
“We’re really focused on assessing the clinical needs of patients and then being really clear about the timeframe they need their care to be provided in.”
Ms Heyman said it was all about good management.
“We’re utilising the surgeons and theatres that we have in the most efficient way to achieve that,” she said.
“Emergency department results were also very, very good.”
The median time spent in the Armidale emergency department was two hours and 18 minutes, compared to a state average of two hours and 46 minutes.
Patients arriving by ambulance were on average processed in four minutes, the same timing as last quarter despite an increase in patient numbers.
“We had 78.4 per cent of our patients admitted, treated and discharged or referred from the emergency department within four hours,” Ms Heyman said.
“While that’s a little down from last year, we’re still above the state average and still the majority of patients are going through in a really timely way.”
Ms Heyman said processing times were steady, even with more high acuity patients presenting.
“There were a higher number of patients that were sicker and needed to be admitted and that takes a bit longer time,” she said.
Ms Heyman said Armidale, and the region, should be very pleased with the results.