KEY POINTS:
Whangarei Hospital's emergency department has opened a fast-track room to cut waiting times for the summer flood of patients.
Clinical leader Scott Cameron said December 25 to January 10 was easily the department's busiest time.
New Year's Day was usually just pipped by Boxing Day as the most hectic day of the year.
This summer the emergency department had been lucky, even though a surge of about 100 cases a day on December 30 and 31 took the number of patients close to the record high of 110.
"Christmas Day and Boxing Day were manageable - but we haven't seen the end of it yet," Dr Cameron said.
A wave of holidaymakers from Auckland, medical centres closing for the Christmas break, and an upsurge of alcohol-related complaints and accidents had increased pressure on the emergency department.
"There's also more trauma because people are outside doing things, sometimes with too much to drink," Dr Cameron said.
As well as an increasing number of young people affected by alcohol, summer brought more people overdosing on prescription medicines such as antidepressants.
"But the number one party drug and date-rape drug is still alcohol. We see a bit of P and the odd overdose on party pills, but that's dwindling out since Government scrutiny increased," Dr Cameron said.
Staff doctors agreed to not take any holidays between Christmas and January 10 so the emergency department would be fully staffed, and the number of nurses was boosted.
Part of the waiting room had been converted into a two-bed "fast-track room" to cut down waiting times.
It is open daily from noon to 8pm and staffed by a dedicated fast-track nurse and doctor.
"It's designed for rapid treatment of minor complaints, so people aren't waiting around for six to eight hours for a sprained ankle or lacerations," said Dr Cameron.
The new room, which the builders had finished just in time for Christmas, also helps to free staff to tackle the more serious cases.
- Northern Advocate
