Wellbeing boost for Angliss

By Ed Merrison
THE Angliss Hospital has turned out a promising set of results in a recent Government report, with improved treatment rates in most areas despite a rise in the number of admissions.
Releasing the latest Your Hospitals report, which detailed the performance of the State’s hospitals between July and December 2005, Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said the Angliss was playing a key role in the ongoing improvement of Victoria’s hospital system.
During the latter half of 2005, the hospital received 20,071 visits to its emergency department, up by six per cent on the previous six months. Of these admissions, 100 per cent of category-one patients were seen immediately, and 78 per cent of category-three semi-urgent patients were treated within the target time of 30 minutes.
However, only 66 per cent of category-two patients were seen within 10 minutes, down from 70 per cent for the corresponding six months of 2004.
Ninety per cent of emergency department admissions were transferred to a ward bed within 12 hours, a 7 per cent rise since last year and one of the highest rates in Victoria.
The Angliss played its own part in a statewide elective surgery waiting-list blitz, with 1578 people admitted from its lists in the final six months of 2005, 106 more than for the previous six months.
Once again, the hospital hit its target for category-one urgent admissions, with 100 per cent of patients admitted within the target time of 30 days.
Ambulance bypass across the hospital system almost halved, down from 2.7 per cent to 1.4 per cent, with the Angliss recording a drop from 0.8 per cent to 0.4 per cent, well below a target of 3 per cent.
Angliss general manager Penny Newsome congratulated the hospital team, and said the report demonstrated its commitment to accessible services.
“Despite emergency demand continuing to grow, the hospital is managing elective surgery well with reductions evident in our waiting lists.
“The recently upgraded theatre-three operating suite, together with the currently in-development new Day Procedure Unit when completed, will further assist us to manage growing demand across the hospital,” she said.
Shadow Health Minister Helen Shardey, who accused the State Government of fudging figures and attempting to dump them by timing their release for the day before Easter, admitted that none of the Angliss figures were blown out.
However, Ms Shardey said the Opposition would be keeping an eye on the hospital’s performance.
“There are causes for concern with their emergency department, particularly for category-two patients. Only 66 per cent are being seen within the appropriate time of 10 minutes, when the statewide target is 80 per cent.
“These are people in very severe pain, who may have major breathing obstructions or severe fractures, so these are very ill people.
“People would like to think that if they had a major problem they would be seen within the specified period of time,” she said.