Northern NSW hospitals improve surgery performance

HOSPITALS in the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) improved planned surgery performance during the July to September quarter, even as emergency departments recorded their busiest period yet.

NNSWLHD director of clinical operations Lynne Weir said hospitals across the district were dealing with record-breaking levels of activity in emergency departments.

“We had 56,041 emergency attendances in the quarter, an increase of 3.4 per cent, or 1840 additional attendances when compared with the same quarter last year, and the highest July-September quarter ever recorded,” Ms Weir said.

“We also saw 9775 arrivals by ambulance, an increase of 585 arrivals, or 6.4 per cent, compared with the same quarter in 2023, and the highest ever on record.

“It’s incredibly busy in our EDs, and I’d like to thank all our staff for their continued efforts in caring for our communities at their most vulnerable.”

The latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) Healthcare Quarterly report shows that 3572 planned procedures were completed across the district, with 85.4 per cent performed on time.

This marks an improvement of 8.2 percentage points compared with the same period last year.

At the end of the quarter, 232 patients in the NNSWLHD were waiting longer than clinically recommended for surgery – a 67 per cent reduction from September 2023. Officials are urging the community to be mindful of the strain on emergency services and consider alternative care options when appropriate.