By XAVIER SMERDON
WERRIBEE Mercy Hospital is buckling under the pressure of a booming population in Wyndham with the emergency department revealed as one of the worst in Victoria for waiting times.
The State Government’s latest hospital report showed that between July 2010 and September last year 305 patients spent more than 24 hours in a trolley waiting for a bed at Werribee Mercy.
These figures make the hospital the third worst in the state behind Frankston and Albury.
A spokesperson for the hospital told Star that while the patients were waiting for beds they were still in private Emergency Department cubicles.
In October last year Star revealed exclusive documents that showed the number of patients that had walked out of the hospital after waiting too long for treatment.
The hospital disputed the accuracy of the documents which said that on 4 September 40 out of 113 (35.39 per cent) patients walked out.
In regards the latest report Executive Director of Mercy Health South Western Health Services, Richard Ainley, said the hospital was under incredible pressure.
“We are continuing to see increased demand for mental health services in our community and many of the people who were cared for in our ED (Emergency Department) for more than 24 hours were waiting for a mental health bed,” Mr Ainley said.
“As a Community Hospital, Werribee Mercy Hospital does not have an intensive care unit and often this means we must transfer sicker patients to other hospitals for care.”
Wyndham’s Mayor Kim McAliney said it should now be a top priority to reopen fast track beds in the Emergency Department.
“The Mercy Hospital and its staff do an incredible job, but we are no longer a country town, we are a city with 172,000 people and they are struggling with the growth and their inability to service the size of our community,” Cr McAliney said.
“They are under tremendous stress and we need these fast track beds opened.”
