Source : Perth Now news
A top doctor has hit out after NSW premier Chris Minns controversially urged people to stay away from emergency departments to quell growing winter pressures.
Nicholas Spooner, president of the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF) has responded to Mr Minns pleas, in which he implied people should not attend hospitals unless they are in a life-threatening condition.
The premier’s pleas came after close to 10,000 people attended emergency departments in Sydney in a single day on Monday – the largest number since records began.
But Dr Spooner said they were an “indictment” on how the state’s health system had been managed and that warnings had not been heeded.
“Winter happens every year, influenza, Covid and respiratory illnesses place additional pressure on hospitals every year,” he said.
“The Minns government cannot continue treating predictable increases in demand as an unexpected emergency.
“It is an indictment of the NSW health system that the premier’s response is to ask sick and injured people not to come to hospital.”
Dr Spooner said hospitals were struggling to cope with the increased level of demand because they had been historically underfunded, understaffed and doctors were exhausted.
“Patients should always seek emergency care when they believe they need it. They should not be left wondering whether the system has enough doctors to treat them,” he added.
“Doctors are ready and willing to service in our emergency departments, but positions must be properly funded and hospitals must be staffed for the demand they know is coming.
“Instead of telling people to stay away, the premier and health minister should fund the doctors and resources our emergency departments need.
“Patients and frontline staff are now paying the price for the government’s continued failure to staff the public hospital system adequately.”
Speaking earlier this week, Mr Minns said the system was bracing for the “worst three weeks of the year”.
“The cold weather is really set in now. I’ve spoken to emergency departments in Maitland, in Cessnock, in Western Sydney, who have said it is a late starting season, but it is hitting us hard now,” he said.
“To the extent that you can go to urgent care clinic or see your GP. If it’s not life-threatening, we genuinely suggest you do that, so the doctors can focus and the nurse can focus their efforts and attention on people that are about to die.”
