KEY POINTS:
Waikato Hospital has had to set up a specialised team to deal with the critically high patient numbers that have exceeded 100 per cent occupancy.
Hayley McConnell, who heads the team, said the goal was to reduce patient numbers to 98 per cent.
They would do this by discharging some patients to smaller hospitals, transferring others to private hospitals, increasing front door clinical management, and discharging any who were able to leave.
Medical staff also moved 12 patients from the emergency department to alternative areas such as patient lounges in wards and the transit lounge.
Eight beds in a same-day unit had also opened to take patients.
Ms McConnell said there were 25 patients in the emergency department waiting for beds, down from 36 yesterday at 8am.
She said staffing was good yesterday and she thanked staff for their commitment in the face of incredible pressure.
Waikato Primary Health clinical operations manager Erica Amon said GPs were also under pressure with practices at Morrinsville, Te Awamutu and two in Hamilton reporting increased numbers. Most practices were struggling and asking patients to go to accident and medical centres.
Ms McConnell said more than 100 elective operations could be cancelled so the surgery team could cope with more urgent procedures.
"We've opened more beds but unrelenting acute numbers and an overall increase in length of stay are contributing factors."
Patients were coming in with general medical conditions, cardiology and respiratory conditions plus patients with injuries from the weekend. She said she saw no immediate end to the crisis but hoped careful planning would alleviate the problem.
The emergency department last month saw 4779 patients, up from 4455 in August 2007 and nearly 200 more than the previous month's record in March of 4585 patients.
- NZPA
