Emergency medicine specialists are urging New Zealanders nationwide not to go to their local Emergency Department unless they are experiencing a genuine emergency.
“If you come to the ED and you’re critically unwell, you’ll get seen immediately, and you’ll get world-class care,” says Dr Mark Gilbert, ED Clinical Director at Christchurch Hospital.
“But if you come to the ED with something that could possibly be seen elsewhere, you could be in for a wait of four to six hours or sometimes longer.”
Dr Gilbert says the Emergency Department is "as busy as it’s ever been are tired, and staff are tired of running when they get to work and tired of responding on a weekly basis to situations that are arising in the wider healthcare systems."
His concerns are supported by the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine.
“We know that across the country, there is extreme pressure on our emergency departments,” says Dr Kate Allan of ACEM.
“If we can declutter, I suppose some of that space, for a better word, that will help us deal with patients who are more acutely unwell.”
Emergency medicine specialists are encouraging patients who are not seriously ill to seek advice from other services like Healthline, a free 24-hour phone service.
Pharmacies can also offer help with minor ailments, while non-medical services, like dentists and podiatrists, can treat painful conditions.
A shortage of GPs is, at times, compounding wait times for doctor appointments. This is adding to the pressure on EDs – some of which are seeing a steady annual increase in patient numbers.
Te Whatu Ora Health NZ has increased nurse recruitment and funding for training GPs. However, the latest estimates show New Zealand remains short of around 5000 nurses and 1700 doctors.
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