TAMWORTH has come out on top for elective surgeries with all of the hospital’s procedures in three months completed on time in the latest health scorecard.
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One hundred per cent of elective surgeries at Tamworth hospital were performed on time between July and September this year, according to the latest BHI Healthcare Quarterly Activity and Performance Report.
Across the New England, Narrabri, Inverell, Moree, Armidale and Gunnedah joined Tamworth with a perfect scorecard for elective surgery performance, while the entire Hunter New England Health (HNEH) region recorded a 99 per cent performance rate.
“Tamworth Hospital continues to monitor all wait lists daily, performing 100 per cent of all elective surgeries within clinically specified timeframes,” HNEH chief executive Michael DiRienzo said.
Mr DiRienzo said the performance exceeded the state average, and waiting times for all elective surgeries were well within the recommended timeframes.
We are working to attract senior doctors to Tamworth to achieve the best possible staff mix and to ensure patients are being seen promptly.
- HNEH chief executive Michael DiRienzo
Across the HNEH district, 7,962 surgeries were performed in the July to September 2018 period, with non-urgent surgeries increasing by more than seven per cent, or to 214 more surgeries.
In terms of the emergency department (ED), Tamworth’s performance was steady in the latest quarter with 10,795 people passing through the doors.
Of those that presented to ED in Tamworth, 6839 – or more than 66 per cent of patients – left within four hours of arriving.
“We are working to attract senior doctors to Tamworth to achieve the best possible staff mix and to ensure patients are being seen promptly,” said Mr DiRienzo.
“Several medical Emergency Specialists have been recruited this year as part of this ongoing strategy.”
Mr DiRienzo said HNEH was also performing above and beyond the state average in transfer of care, with 92.6 per cent of arrivals, or 21,181 patients, transferred from the ambulance to ED within the 30-minute benchmark.
