After Eight Months, We're Still In Crisis
Illawarra Mercury
Friday August 12, 2005
THE Illawarra's medical workforce shortage hit crisis point on January 1, when emergency physicians walked out of some hospitals.
Citing intolerable workloads, they pulled out of all but Wollongong Hospital. Doctors said filling rosters at Wollongong, Shellharbour and Bulli was unsustainable, with some physicians caring for as many as 100 new cases a day.It was the first test of then NSW Health Minister Morris Iemma's revamped health system.Despite promises that doctors from other hospitals in the enlarged South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service would help out, Shellharbour and Bulli continue to struggle on without emergency physician cover.Eight months after doctors withdrew, the future of both emergency departments is uncertain.Health administrators struggle to fill the Shellharbour emergency roster, particularly on weekends, turning to highly paid locums and paying overtime for extra shifts.Wollongong physician Christopher Dunn said Illawarra hospitals lacked infrastructure, compared to the rest of the state. He particularly noted Shellharbour's lack of a CT scanner and inadequate radiology services across the area."One of the reasons why we have access block (see main story) is because we can't move patients through the system quickly enough."He said using scarce medical and nursing resources at Bulli that could be more sensibly used to relieve problems at Wollongong was "ludicrous".THE PREMIER'S LISTHospital Access block % June 04 Access block % June 05Concord 62 39John Hunter 31 26Prince of Wales 49 31Royal Prince Alfred 52 43St George 46 41St Vincent's 46 46Gosford 28 25Wollongong 44 49Sutherland 52 32Left off the list:Shoalhaven 34 53Shellharbour 56 43
© 2005 Illawarra Mercury
