In the South Island, 12 were added at Burwood, eight at Christchurch, and 14 across the Southern region.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, we are expecting 14 in Middlemore to open on July 8 and a further eight in Christchurch to open on July 17, totalling 103 nationwide,\u201d they said. \u201cThe slight variation from the original plan\u2019s bed alignment is due to hospitals reviewing demand and mak[ing] changes accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the added capacity, hospitals remained busy around the country.<\/p>\n
Dr Tanya Wilton, speaking as an Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive member \u2013 who is also a Hutt-based ED doctor \u2013 said there was a record number of patients through the door all through the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat that looks like on the ground is there\u2019s extra overtime for the regular staff to be doing more work, and I think many emergency departments, the staffing is very thinly spread.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emergency departments were squeezing people in where they could.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be really, really packed,\u201d Wilton said. \u201cNo seats left in the waiting room, all of the care spaces inside the emergency department are full, there\u2019s people in corridors when [there] was no design ever to have people in the corridors.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was also a new, worrying trend involving unhoused people.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve noticed that there are people who are unhoused, or who can\u2019t access transitional housing, especially with the terrible weather that we\u2019ve had recently, who are also coming to the emergency department.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said she treated at least one person a week whose lack of housing played a part in their admission.<\/p>\n
Health NZ also expected to add 378 fulltime staff, as part of its preparations for winter demand.<\/p>\n
Health NZ\u2019s executive regional director for the central region Chris Lowry said 85% of those were either already in place, under offer, had a start date confirmed, or were being covered by additional duties or overtime by existing staff.<\/p>\n
They included nursing, allied health, medical, healthcare assistants, support and non-clinical roles across the regions.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs recruitment for the remaining FTE continues, Health NZ is collaborating with healthcare partners including general practices, pharmacies, and primary providers to support the plan\u2019s delivery,\u201d Lowry said.<\/p>\n
Wilton said in Hutt Hospital ED, there certainly were more shifts available \u2013 but the same staff were filling them.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo try and squeeze a bit more work out of your regular staff, that\u2019s a big ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said that at the end of the day, beds were only beds if they had the staff to service them.<\/p>\n
\u201cEDs are slammed, they are not particularly well-staffed, and they are still subject to significant barriers to being able to get patients who need to be in other parts of the hospital admitted.\u201d<\/p>\n