In a boost for the region, Maitland Hospital’s Emergency Department Short Stay Unit (EDSSU) has increased its capacity to operate seven days a week.
After opening in early June, to provide a brief period of ongoing treatment and observation of a patient’s condition, the facility’s now recruited 16 full-time equivalent staff.
That move has allowed its operations to escalate from four to seven days, ensuring residents receive exceptional care when they need it most.
“We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing patience and support of our community as we work to enhance our performance at our ED,” Maitland Hospital acting general manager Jenny Martin said.
“The improvements we’ve seen in recent months reflect the hard work of our staff and the benefits of our extended operating days of the EDSSU.
“With full staffing capacity, we are confident the ED will continue to improve wait times and patient experiences at Maitland Hospital.”
The news was certainly welcomed by Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison.
“Maitland Hospital continues to make great strides in providing high-quality care for our community,” she said.
“The additional staffing and extended days of operation of the EDSSU are making a real difference, reducing the time patients spend waiting for treatment and easing pressure on our ED.
“This progress is a direct reflection of our dedication to improving healthcare outcomes for Maitland residents.”
At least $70 million has been invested across the state to expand EDSSUs as part of the NSW Government’s ED Relief Package.
And, in the case of Maitland, they’ve witnessed a remarkable increase in patient activity.
The EDSSU’s treated almost 438 patients in the month of September, compared with 278 in June.
Maitland Hospital has also experienced improvements in time to treatment across all triage categories, by up to 6%, and a 19% upsurge in ambulance transfer of care within 30 minutes.
“Maitland Hospital’s ED Short Stay Unit plays a critical role in easing patient flow throughout the hospital, so I’m very pleased to see it now operating seven days a week,” Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said.
“The significant improvement in ED treatment times and ambulance transfer of care is a testament to the efforts of the hard-working healthcare staff, who continues to meet the growing needs of the Maitland community.”
Anyone with an illness or injury that’s not life-threatening is encouraged to phone Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for a 24-hour telephone health advice.
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