Whanganui Hospital's emergency department treated almost seven times the number of people it was built for over the second week of September.
By Kate Green of RNZ
Health NZ group director of operations for Whanganui Kath Fraser-Chapple said on one day between September 2 and 9, the 15-bed ED reached a high of 253% capacity – equivalent to about 50 patients in the department at one time – which placed significant pressure on services.
For the week in total, patient turnover was 680% of capacity.
This was "based on patient turnover, or churn, across the week rather than the number of patients occupying treatment spaces at any given time", Fraser-Chapple said.
Health NZ had increased staffing within the Whanganui Hospital emergency department and continued to actively recruit additional staff, she said.
"Like hospitals across New Zealand, Whanganui Hospital has experienced sustained pressure from high levels of winter illness and increased demand for acute care. While pressure on health services remains elevated, demand is continuing to ease from the high levels experienced during the winter peak," she said.
Recent hires included three specialist nurses to support the assessment and treatment of lower-acuity patients, a dedicated geriatric emergency department nurse to support older people presenting to the service, and a physiotherapist to assist patients with musculoskeletal and mobility issues and support patient flow through the department.
"We continue to plan for future demand, and work is scheduled to begin in October to expand treatment space within the emergency department, improve the mental health assessment area, increase storage capacity and provide a dedicated staff meal room," Fraser-Chapple said.
NZ Nurses' Organisation delegate Kathryn Fleming, a nurse working in Whanganui ED, told RNZ it had been an "incredibly stressful" time.
"It's not just a one-off bad day – it's something we're experiencing day in and day out," she said.
"You're constantly looking at the waiting room full of people and having to make decisions about who needs to be seen first and who can safely wait."
Those numbers created "a huge health and safety risk".
She often carried the worry home with her, Fleming said.
"Behind every person waiting is someone who needs you. You're constantly worried if you might miss something for them, because you're trying to provide safe care and you're also watching the clock and watching your patients in the waiting room and trying to manage whatever comes through the door next."
It was mentally exhausting, she said.
"And you can finish a shift physically tired and the mental side just stays with you because you're thinking, did I see everyone? Did I miss anything? Did everyone get home safely?"
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