New measures to ease pressure on the public hospital system
Source: ACT. Health Minister. Media Release
"The ACT Government is working with private providers to offer public hospital care through private facilities in coming months in an effort to increase public hospital bed capacity in the face of extreme pressure on the system, ACT Health Minister, Katy Gallagher MLA, said. "Our hospital system is currently under enormous pressure due largely to seasonal illnesses and the added burden of swine flu which is causing large numbers of presentations to our emergency departments. Staff absenteeism due to illness is also unusually high," Ms Gallagher said. The unprecedented number of presentations to emergency departments results in more admissions and creates additional pressure for beds, particularly in the Intensive Care Unit. The Minister said that in addition to normal winter planning, ACT Health is pursuing some further measures which will be progressively implemented over coming weeks. "