John Hunter only admitting patients with 'threat of limb or life loss'

The Advertiser

4 days ago

Surgeons at John Hunter Hospital have been told to admit patients only with "threat of limb or life loss" amid an extreme bed shortage.
Hospital management sent surgeons a message on Monday afternoon that said "John Hunter Hospital is going into the evening with minus 37 beds".
The message, titled "extreme bed compromise", said "we are on life and limb".
"This means any acceptance of patients into John Hunter Hospital must be via surgeons (not registrars) and must be for patients who have threat of limb loss or life loss," it said.
"Please continue to ... identify all patients who can be discharged home or to HITH [Hospital in the Home]."
This followed patients waiting up to four hours when arriving by ambulance to John Hunter at the weekend.
The waits coincided with high presentations and admissions to hospitals across the state for influenza-like illness.
"It's been pretty bad in the last 28 to 48 hours," said Brendan McIlveen, a Newcastle-based paramedic.
Mr McIlveen, the Australian Paramedics Association NSW secretary, said "this is probably the worst it's been in a long while".
More than 10 ambulances were seen lined up at the John Hunter on Sunday.
One hospital staffer told the Newcastle Herald there were "40 patients in overflow".
"The cardiac catheterisation laboratory and endoscopy recovery have been used for overflow patients.
"Patients are waiting excessively because we don't have anywhere to see them. We have no movement of patients.
"Staff feel overwhelmed and fearful that something will go wrong. They get scared that someone will die."
The staffer said the hospital executive "refused to call a code yellow" on Sunday.
"This would mean they recognise we have an internal emergency."
In this scenario, moves could be made to ease pressure on the hospital.
A Hunter New England Health spokesperson said on Monday: "John Hunter Hospital is currently experiencing a higher-than-usual volume of patients, including a significant number of seriously unwell patients".
"In response to demand and to alleviate pressure in the ED, we are activating surge areas to temporarily increase our capacity as required.
"During periods of high activity, we monitor inter-hospital transfer requests and prioritise the most unwell patients."
Mr McIlveen said the patients brought to the hospital by ambulance on Sunday were "genuine cases".
"It's not as though they could see a GP or be referred to an urgent care centre," he said.
"It's flu season, so there were a number of unwell people on Sunday."
He added that "trauma happens during weekend sports".
"John Hunter does take all the trauma. It flows well, considering the number of ambulances and patients presenting in the waiting room as well," Mr McIlveen said.
"It does show how well the nurses and doctors do to see as many patients as they do. They were doing everything they possibly could."
But as the workload increases, so do delays at the hospital.
"This does put a burden on the response available for the community," Mr McIlveen said.
"The warmer weather will probably start again soon so that will hopefully settle all the respiratory cases down a bit."
The latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report showed "influenza activity is still at a high level", but cases among children had fallen during the school holidays.
"COVID is at a moderate level of activity and decreasing. RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] activity is decreasing and at a moderate level," the report said.
ED presentations and admissions for bronchiolitis in young children were high, particularly in those aged less than one, but they were decreasing.
While another month of winter lies ahead, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast warmer than average days and nights in south-eastern Australia from August to October.
The bureau said there was an "increased chance of unusually high overnight temperatures".
Surgeons at John Hunter Hospital have been told to admit patients only with "threat of limb or life loss" amid an extreme bed shortage.
Hospital management sent surgeons a message on Monday afternoon that said "John Hunter Hospital is going into the evening with minus 37 beds".
The message, titled "extreme bed compromise", said "we are on life and limb".
"This means any acceptance of patients into John Hunter Hospital must be via surgeons (not registrars) and must be for patients who have threat of limb loss or life loss," it said.
"Please continue to ... identify all patients who can be discharged home or to HITH [Hospital in the Home]."
This followed patients waiting up to four hours when arriving by ambulance to John Hunter at the weekend.
The waits coincided with high presentations and admissions to hospitals across the state for influenza-like illness.
"It's been pretty bad in the last 28 to 48 hours," said Brendan McIlveen, a Newcastle-based paramedic.
Mr McIlveen, the Australian Paramedics Association NSW secretary, said "this is probably the worst it's been in a long while".
More than 10 ambulances were seen lined up at the John Hunter on Sunday.
One hospital staffer told the Newcastle Herald there were "40 patients in overflow".
"The cardiac catheterisation laboratory and endoscopy recovery have been used for overflow patients.
"Patients are waiting excessively because we don't have anywhere to see them. We have no movement of patients.
"Staff feel overwhelmed and fearful that something will go wrong. They get scared that someone will die."
The staffer said the hospital executive "refused to call a code yellow" on Sunday.
"This would mean they recognise we have an internal emergency."
In this scenario, moves could be made to ease pressure on the hospital.
A Hunter New England Health spokesperson said on Monday: "John Hunter Hospital is currently experiencing a higher-than-usual volume of patients, including a significant number of seriously unwell patients".
"In response to demand and to alleviate pressure in the ED, we are activating surge areas to temporarily increase our capacity as required.
"During periods of high activity, we monitor inter-hospital transfer requests and prioritise the most unwell patients."
Mr McIlveen said the patients brought to the hospital by ambulance on Sunday were "genuine cases".
"It's not as though they could see a GP or be referred to an urgent care centre," he said.
"It's flu season, so there were a number of unwell people on Sunday."
He added that "trauma happens during weekend sports".
"John Hunter does take all the trauma. It flows well, considering the number of ambulances and patients presenting in the waiting room as well," Mr McIlveen said.
"It does show how well the nurses and doctors do to see as many patients as they do. They were doing everything they possibly could."
But as the workload increases, so do delays at the hospital.
"This does put a burden on the response available for the community," Mr McIlveen said.
"The warmer weather will probably start again soon so that will hopefully settle all the respiratory cases down a bit."
The latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report showed "influenza activity is still at a high level", but cases among children had fallen during the school holidays.
"COVID is at a moderate level of activity and decreasing. RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] activity is decreasing and at a moderate level," the report said.
ED presentations and admissions for bronchiolitis in young children were high, particularly in those aged less than one, but they were decreasing.
While another month of winter lies ahead, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast warmer than average days and nights in south-eastern Australia from August to October.
The bureau said there was an "increased chance of unusually high overnight temperatures".
Surgeons at John Hunter Hospital have been told to admit patients only with "threat of limb or life loss" amid an extreme bed shortage.
Hospital management sent surgeons a message on Monday afternoon that said "John Hunter Hospital is going into the evening with minus 37 beds".
The message, titled "extreme bed compromise", said "we are on life and limb".
"This means any acceptance of patients into John Hunter Hospital must be via surgeons (not registrars) and must be for patients who have threat of limb loss or life loss," it said.
"Please continue to ... identify all patients who can be discharged home or to HITH [Hospital in the Home]."
This followed patients waiting up to four hours when arriving by ambulance to John Hunter at the weekend.
The waits coincided with high presentations and admissions to hospitals across the state for influenza-like illness.
"It's been pretty bad in the last 28 to 48 hours," said Brendan McIlveen, a Newcastle-based paramedic.
Mr McIlveen, the Australian Paramedics Association NSW secretary, said "this is probably the worst it's been in a long while".
More than 10 ambulances were seen lined up at the John Hunter on Sunday.
One hospital staffer told the Newcastle Herald there were "40 patients in overflow".
"The cardiac catheterisation laboratory and endoscopy recovery have been used for overflow patients.
"Patients are waiting excessively because we don't have anywhere to see them. We have no movement of patients.
"Staff feel overwhelmed and fearful that something will go wrong. They get scared that someone will die."
The staffer said the hospital executive "refused to call a code yellow" on Sunday.
"This would mean they recognise we have an internal emergency."
In this scenario, moves could be made to ease pressure on the hospital.
A Hunter New England Health spokesperson said on Monday: "John Hunter Hospital is currently experiencing a higher-than-usual volume of patients, including a significant number of seriously unwell patients".
"In response to demand and to alleviate pressure in the ED, we are activating surge areas to temporarily increase our capacity as required.
"During periods of high activity, we monitor inter-hospital transfer requests and prioritise the most unwell patients."
Mr McIlveen said the patients brought to the hospital by ambulance on Sunday were "genuine cases".
"It's not as though they could see a GP or be referred to an urgent care centre," he said.
"It's flu season, so there were a number of unwell people on Sunday."
He added that "trauma happens during weekend sports".
"John Hunter does take all the trauma. It flows well, considering the number of ambulances and patients presenting in the waiting room as well," Mr McIlveen said.
"It does show how well the nurses and doctors do to see as many patients as they do. They were doing everything they possibly could."
But as the workload increases, so do delays at the hospital.
"This does put a burden on the response available for the community," Mr McIlveen said.
"The warmer weather will probably start again soon so that will hopefully settle all the respiratory cases down a bit."
The latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report showed "influenza activity is still at a high level", but cases among children had fallen during the school holidays.
"COVID is at a moderate level of activity and decreasing. RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] activity is decreasing and at a moderate level," the report said.
ED presentations and admissions for bronchiolitis in young children were high, particularly in those aged less than one, but they were decreasing.
While another month of winter lies ahead, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast warmer than average days and nights in south-eastern Australia from August to October.
The bureau said there was an "increased chance of unusually high overnight temperatures".
Surgeons at John Hunter Hospital have been told to admit patients only with "threat of limb or life loss" amid an extreme bed shortage.
Hospital management sent surgeons a message on Monday afternoon that said "John Hunter Hospital is going into the evening with minus 37 beds".
The message, titled "extreme bed compromise", said "we are on life and limb".
"This means any acceptance of patients into John Hunter Hospital must be via surgeons (not registrars) and must be for patients who have threat of limb loss or life loss," it said.
"Please continue to ... identify all patients who can be discharged home or to HITH [Hospital in the Home]."
This followed patients waiting up to four hours when arriving by ambulance to John Hunter at the weekend.
The waits coincided with high presentations and admissions to hospitals across the state for influenza-like illness.
"It's been pretty bad in the last 28 to 48 hours," said Brendan McIlveen, a Newcastle-based paramedic.
Mr McIlveen, the Australian Paramedics Association NSW secretary, said "this is probably the worst it's been in a long while".
More than 10 ambulances were seen lined up at the John Hunter on Sunday.
One hospital staffer told the Newcastle Herald there were "40 patients in overflow".
"The cardiac catheterisation laboratory and endoscopy recovery have been used for overflow patients.
"Patients are waiting excessively because we don't have anywhere to see them. We have no movement of patients.
"Staff feel overwhelmed and fearful that something will go wrong. They get scared that someone will die."
The staffer said the hospital executive "refused to call a code yellow" on Sunday.
"This would mean they recognise we have an internal emergency."
In this scenario, moves could be made to ease pressure on the hospital.
A Hunter New England Health spokesperson said on Monday: "John Hunter Hospital is currently experiencing a higher-than-usual volume of patients, including a significant number of seriously unwell patients".
"In response to demand and to alleviate pressure in the ED, we are activating surge areas to temporarily increase our capacity as required.
"During periods of high activity, we monitor inter-hospital transfer requests and prioritise the most unwell patients."
Mr McIlveen said the patients brought to the hospital by ambulance on Sunday were "genuine cases".
"It's not as though they could see a GP or be referred to an urgent care centre," he said.
"It's flu season, so there were a number of unwell people on Sunday."
He added that "trauma happens during weekend sports".
"John Hunter does take all the trauma. It flows well, considering the number of ambulances and patients presenting in the waiting room as well," Mr McIlveen said.
"It does show how well the nurses and doctors do to see as many patients as they do. They were doing everything they possibly could."
But as the workload increases, so do delays at the hospital.
"This does put a burden on the response available for the community," Mr McIlveen said.
"The warmer weather will probably start again soon so that will hopefully settle all the respiratory cases down a bit."
The latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report showed "influenza activity is still at a high level", but cases among children had fallen during the school holidays.
"COVID is at a moderate level of activity and decreasing. RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] activity is decreasing and at a moderate level," the report said.
ED presentations and admissions for bronchiolitis in young children were high, particularly in those aged less than one, but they were decreasing.
While another month of winter lies ahead, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast warmer than average days and nights in south-eastern Australia from August to October.
The bureau said there was an "increased chance of unusually high overnight temperatures".