Clinic staff issues sparks extra work at ED

Wairau Hospital has been slammed with extra patients as Marlborough’s urgent care clinic works to plug job gaps.

The hospital’s Emergency Department has been bearing the brunt of staffing issues, which happened three times in the last two weeks.

Patients with minor injuries and illnesses who went to the Marlborough Urgent Care Centre last Wednesday and Friday were turned away as there was no doctor to see them.

Busy hospital staff struggled to clear the backlog, with some less urgent patients waiting up to six hours to be seen or sent home and asked to return.

General manager, primary care Sue Allen says the Primary Health Organisation (PHO) is currently recruiting extra staff.

“We have recently had occasions while recruiting, where we have not had medical staff or nurse practitioners onsite after 6.30pm.

“On these occasions we have remained open to the public until 8pm with registered nurses triaging patients to the most appropriate place, ED if unwell and needing to be seen, or requesting they return the following morning.”

Sue told the Marlborough Weekly that one current vacancy for Medical Officers has been filled, with the successful applicant due to start in November.

Another is to be interviewed, she says.

Situated next to Wairau Hospital, Marlborough Urgent Care Centre is primarily meant for people with minor injuries and complaints who cannot see a GP.

“We have three staff on each day, sometimes two doctors and a nurse,” she says.

The centre is open 12 hours a day, seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.The medical roster is covered by GPs over the weekends and on public holidays.

Nelson Marlborough Health Assistant Chief Medical Officer Dr Andrew Morgan says the hospital and clinic staff are working together to treat patients in the most appropriate place.

He says as bed number fluctuations in the emergency department are influenced by several factors.

“It would not be accurate to directly attribute a rise or fall in bed numbers to a single cause such as external staffing levels.

The hospital has seen an increase in presentations to ED, in particular the elderly. This is not unexpected at this time of year.”

Dr Morgan says that patients who attend Wairau ED either independently or via the Urgent Care facility can be assured that the team will collectively provide quality care.

He added the unpredictable nature of the Emergency Department was on the DHB’s radar.

“DHB are cognisant of the unpredictable nature of ED and the impact that it can have on those who work within it.

“As such we are continuously working to minimise these impacts and to support staff to effectively and safely work within the environment.”