Very High ED Presentations At Taranaki Base Hospital

Taranaki Base Hospital hit an all-time high of 150 presentations in a single day on Tuesday, January 3, resulting in long waits for many minor conditions, says Te Whatu Ora Taranaki interim chief operating officer, Wendy Langlands.

"We realise long waits can also be distressing therefore we want to remind our community of other alternatives for minor conditions such as calling Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free medical advice," explains Langlands.

"This number provides 24/7 medical advice from registered health professionals. They’ll provide you with advice on caring for yourself or family members and can also connect you with the health services you might need."

"Our local pharmacists are also registered health professionals who can offer health advice on a range of common conditions and what kinds of medicine you might need for coughs and colds, bladder infections, eye infections, minor cuts and grazes, the emergency contraceptive pill and a range of other health needs."

To find pharmacies, GPs and Urgent Medical Care Centres open near you, visit www.healthpoint.co.nz for a comprehensive list of services and contacts.

With an influx of visitors to the region, and many GP practices being closed over the holiday period there has been significant pressure on the region’s ED departments in New Plymouth and Hawera, says Langlands.

"Emergencies that are life threatening such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, or severe bleeding and pain is the work of emergency departments. If you are experiencing those, call 111 immediately or have someone drive you safely to our emergency departments."

"With such great weather kicking off the holiday period we want everyone to have a safe-as-summer, so knowing what your best healthcare options are will hopefully help you avoid long waits in our region’s emergency departments."

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