The longest flu season since the pandemic a decade ago has led to an increase in Emergency Department (ED) admissions at Moree Hospital, as well as longer waiting times.
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Nearly 500 more patients presented to Moree Hospital's ED than the same time last year, a Bureau of Health Information report revealed.
A total of 2601 people presented to ED from July to September 2019, up 23 per cent on the same period last year.
Ambulance arrivals were also up, from 291 in July to September 2018, compared to 334 this year.
Reflecting the rise in ED admissions, Moree Hospital's waiting times also saw an increase during the July to September quarter.
Just over 72 per cent of patients started their treatment on time, while 80 per cent were able to leave the ED within four hours of presenting at the hospital.
About two-thirds of patients who presented with an emergency started their treatment on time, down from last year, while 71 per cent of patients within the urgent triage category were treated on time. A majority of non-urgent patients (92 per cent) began treatment on time, with the median wait time 30 minutes. The median time to treatment for emergency patients was seven minutes, up two minutes on the same quarter last year.
Moree Hospital wasn't the only busy hospital during the July to September quarter.
Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) chief executive Michael DiRienzo said there was a 6.5 per cent increase in ED presentations across the district.
Although emergency waiting times increased, Moree Hospital was one of the best performing hospitals in the HNELHD when it came to elective surgeries, with 100 per cent of all all elective surgery procedures performed on time.
"Of our 15 hospitals captured in the BHI report, eight ranked perfectly for performing all elective surgeries on time, which is pleasing to see," Mr DiRienzo said.
"We continue to ensure more patients receive their surgery sooner by working closely with surgeons and facilities with greater capacity and shorter waiting times."
A total of 77 elective surgeries were performed at Moree Hospital from July to September. The median wait time for non-urgent procedures was 194 days, down 20 days on the same quarter last year. It was only an 11-day wait for urgent elective surgery procedures, which is two days better than similar hospitals.
