“Despite the rise, Moree Hospital staff have done very well. Eighty-seven per cent of patients start treatment on time, which is above the state average of 76%.”

The snapshot of Moree District Health Service’s performance comes from the Bureau of Health Information’s latest Quarterly Report. The comprehensive document provides a breakdown on the performance of public health care systems across NSW.

From January to March this year, arrivals at the emergency department by ambulance rose to 304, a spike of 20.6% compared to the same period of last year. Emergency presentations rose to 2,281, a jump of 313. 

The number of patients admitted for semi-urgent increased 21.7 per cent, while non-urgent cases saw the largest spike of 39.3 per cent.

“Semi-urgent or non-urgent can be anything from a sprained ankle to a small cut or abrasion,” Bronwyn said.

On the upside, 96 per cent of ambulance drop-offs sees the patient off the stretcher in 30 minutes.

The waiting time period for patients about to receive elective surgery has also dropped in every aspect, with the median wait time for semi-urgent surgery at 22 days, while the median wait time for non-urgent surgery is 142 days, down from 263.

“A lot of long wait lists are in relation to eye surgery. This year, we were able to schedule extra surgeries,” Bronwyn said.

The acute health service manager said the glowing results were an illustration of the effective work practices at the local health service.

“The results can be attributed to the hard work of the staff, which means patients can be seen on time.”