State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, has called on the Government to fix the crisis facing the Emergency Department at the John Hunter Hospital, after the release of the latest Bureau of Health Information report showed 42% of patients are waiting more than 4 hours for treatment.
Waiting times in NSW hospitals in emergency departments have blown out, with data from the Bureau of Health Information listing the John Hunter Hospital as one of the worst performers in the State.
At the John Hunter Hospital, more than 42% percent of patients waited for more than four hours in the July to September 2018 reporting quarter, well above the state average.
Statewide, 29 percent of patients waited longer than four hours in Emergency Departments.
Quotes attributable to Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery
“Patients at the John Hunter Hospital have some of the longest waits in Emergency Departments in Australia.”
“Well over a third of all the people who visited the Emergency Department at the John Hunter waited longer than 4 hours for treatment. This is completely unacceptable.”
“These figures clearly show the health and hospital system at the John Hunter Hospital is under enormous pressure and is just not coping.”
“Staff are telling me that they are at breaking point. There are low staffing levels and a steep rise in patient numbers during this flu season has left many staff feeling burnt out and exhausted. Morale is at an all-time low.”
“These figures have gotten progressively worse since the beginning of the year when 37.4% of people waited more than 4 hours for treatment.”
“The Government needs to ensure there are adequate staffing levels after it was revealed the hospital had a shortfall of nearly 7000 nursing care hours last year.”