Key Takeaways:
- A woman spent 11 and a half hours at Wellington Hospital’s emergency department without being seen by a doctor.
- The hospital’s emergency department reached 256% occupancy at some points, making it one of the busiest days in recent years.
- The woman was experiencing severe abdominal pain and fevers, but was only given pain medication and had her blood tests taken after several hours.
- The hospital has apologized for the long wait times and acknowledged that the system is overwhelmed.
- Health NZ’s target is for 95% of patients to be admitted, discharged, or transferred from an emergency department within six hours by 2030, but Capital and Coast has the second worst performing ED in the country for this target.
Introduction to the Incident
A woman who visited Wellington Hospital’s emergency department on December 1 spent 11 and a half hours waiting to be seen by a doctor, but unfortunately, she was never seen by one. The hospital’s emergency department was extremely busy that day, with occupancy reaching 256% at some points, making it one of the busiest days in recent years. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, had been experiencing severe abdominal pain and fevers for about 24 hours before visiting the hospital. She had initially contacted Kenepuru Hospital, who advised her to go to Wellington Hospital.
The Woman’s Experience
The woman arrived at the emergency department around 12:30 pm and spoke to reception and a triage nurse. Throughout her waiting time, she experienced severe spikes of pain and had to return to the triage nurse to get pain medication. Her blood tests were taken after several hours, but the pain wasn’t subsiding, and she wanted to see a doctor to understand what was going on. She became visibly upset and frustrated after 10 hours of waiting, at which point staff asked if anyone had talked to her about her blood test results. She described the experience of waiting in pain as "scary" and felt that she was not being taken care of.
The Hospital’s Response
The hospital has apologized for the long wait times and acknowledged that the system is overwhelmed. The ED’s operations manager, Julia Mitchell, apologized for the distress caused to the woman and acknowledged that the hospital’s occupancy was at 145% when the woman arrived, which only got worse throughout the day, reaching 256% at some points. Mitchell explained that when the hospital’s inpatient service is also over capacity, it impacts the ability to move patients into inpatient wards, which affects the ability to see patients in a timely manner in the emergency department.
The Broader Context
Health NZ’s target is for 95% of patients to be admitted, discharged, or transferred from an emergency department within six hours by 2030. However, Capital and Coast has the second worst performing ED in the country for this target, achieving the six-hour target only 50% of the time, according to Health NZ’s latest results. A Cabinet Paper released last year seeking budget approval for a refurbishment of the site stated that Wellington ED’s services couldn’t meet demand and had a constraining layout, meaning one in ten patients didn’t wait to see a clinician, and one-third of patients were being treated in corridors rather than cubicles.
The Government’s Response
The government announced last June that Wellington Hospital would receive a major upgrade, with a new emergency department and 126 additional beds and treatment spaces. Health NZ did not respond to questions about what Wellington ED’s current average wait-time is or how many times the ED has reached over 100% occupancy in November or December. However, Capital Coast & Hutt Valley’s group director of operations, Jamie Duncan, said that the hospital had not reached the same levels of occupancy as it had on December 1 by mid-December. Duncan apologized for the upset and distress experienced by the patient and acknowledged that the day she attended was an extremely busy day for the department.
Conclusion
The incident highlights the challenges faced by Wellington Hospital’s emergency department, which is struggling to meet demand due to overcrowding and staff constraints. The hospital’s apology and acknowledgement of the system being overwhelmed are steps in the right direction, but more needs to be done to address the underlying issues. The government’s announcement of a major upgrade to the hospital is a positive development, but it will take time to implement. In the meantime, patients like the woman who spent 11 and a half hours waiting to be seen by a doctor will continue to suffer. It is essential for the hospital and Health NZ to prioritize patient safety and work towards meeting the six-hour target to ensure that patients receive timely and effective care.