Junior Doctors' Strike

Media Release 16 June 2006
National DHB Coordination Centre
Junior Doctors’ Strike

The following is intended to provide media with a national picture of how the hospitals are responding during the five-day junior doctors’ strike. Please attribute to Anne Aitcheson, National Coordinator Contingency Planning:

Day 2 - Update as at 1200 - 16 June 2006

Hospital Bed Occupancy:
Average occupancy around 75% with the highest occupancy recorded at Whanganui Hospital with 90%.

Emergency Departments:
Throughput in Emergency Departments overnight generally down by between 25%-50%. Waiting times not reported as an issue, however this is probably related to the reduction in volumes and that the community are appropriately seeing their GP in the first instance.

Staffing:
A number of junior medical staff who were not expected to be working have again presented to work today - there are no confirmed numbers at this stage.

Helicopter Retrievals:
6 retrievals reported

Life Preserving Service Activations:
3 activations since the strike began

Transfers Between Hospitals:
Transfers in and out have been below normal numbers.

Issues:
South Island weather warning being monitored closely.
South Canterbury has been unable to discharge some patients due to homes being without power.

Areas of pressure continue to be reported for medical, neonatal and women’s health, with a number of services reporting more than 100% occupancy in their maternity services.

Hospitals continue to refine their rosters for the weekend to ensure they have flexibility to access more staff should emergency demand increase.

Messages to public:
Please see your GP in the first instance where possible – please help us to keep the emergency department for emergencies only

ENDS

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