13 December 2005

Hospital emergency departments never close

NSW Health has today assured the community that emergency departments will remain operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week over the Christmas and New Year period.

Last summer, emergency departments across the State treated 265,189 patients over the December to January period. Of these patients 57,287 people required admission - more than 1 in 5 people coming through the emergency department door.

Over Christmas and New Year and into the summer holidays, 100 per cent of all urgent life-threatening cases were seen immediately - every day, in every public hospital emergency department across NSW.

A NSW Health spokesperson said the community should feel proud of the work emergency department doctors, nurses and health workers perform over the festive season - treating records numbers of patients and ensuring top quality care.

This year, health workers are again getting ready to take on hundreds of thousands of emergencies and patient conditions ranging from major trauma to less serious injuries and illnesses.

This time of year also sees a corresponding period of low activity for elective surgery over a 6-8 week period. Area health services also use this time to target long-wait patients.

School holidays and the festive season is a popular time of year to take a break and many doctors, nurses, physios, radiographers, cleaners and engineers are also parents who wish to spend time with their children and families.

Just as importantly, most patients who can avoid being in hospital for Christmas prefer to do so. If their care is appropriate to be managed later in January then those arrangements are put in place.

The community can be assured that if urgent surgery or medical care is required, no matter where in NSW, then it will be available.

The reduction in elective surgery over Christmas and into the New Year is consistent with the practice in past years. It impacts on some elective surgery only - all emergency care continues 24 hours a day.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au