Maitland Hospital's Emergency Department Short Stay Unit (EDSSU) has increased its capacity to now operate seven days a week, a key advancement in our commitment to providing safe, timely, and high-quality healthcare for our community.
$70 million has been invested across the state to expand EDSSUs to improve patient flow and reduce emergency department (ED) wait times across NSW as part of the NSW Government's ED Relief Package.
Maitland hospital's EDSSU opened in early June 2024 and has now recruited 16 full-time equivalent staff, allowing operations to increase from four to seven days per week from September. This enhancement will significantly improve treatment times and patient flow in the ED, ensuring that our community receives exceptional care when they need it most.
The EDSSU is designed to provide a short period of ongoing treatment and observation of a patient's condition and helps them to avoid an unnecessary hospital stay.
Maitland Hospital's EDSSU has seen a remarkable increase in patient activity, treating almost 438 patients in the month of September 2024, compared with 278 patients treated in June 2024.
Since the EDSSU's opening in June 2024, Maitland Hospital has experienced improvements in time to treatment across all triage categories by up to six per cent, and a 19 per cent improvement in ambulance transfer of care within 30 minutes.
Maitland Hospital remains committed to implementing strategies to improve ED wait times for patients and relieve pressure on staff.
We encourage anyone with an illness or injury that's not life-threatening to call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222, for a 24-hour telephone health advice.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:
"Maitland Hospital's ED Short Stay Unit plays a critical role in easing patient flow throughout the hospital, so I'm very pleased to see it now operating seven days a week.
"The significant improvement in ED treatment times and ambulance transfer of care is a testament to the efforts of our hard-working healthcare staff, who continue to meet the growing needs of the Maitland community.
"This increase in staff at Maitland Hospital's EDSSU demonstrates our commitment to ensuring regional communities have access to timely and high-quality healthcare."
Quotes attributable to Member for Maitland, Jenny Aitchison:
"Maitland Hospital continues to make great strides in providing high-quality care for our community.
"The additional staffing and extended days of operation of the EDSSU are making a real difference, reducing the time patients spend waiting for treatment and easing pressure on our ED.
"This progress is a direct reflection of our dedication to improving healthcare outcomes for Maitland residents."
Quotes attributable to Acting General Manager Maitland Hospital, Jenny Martin:
"We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing patience and support of our community as we work to enhance our performance at our ED.
"The improvements we've seen in recent months reflect the hard work of our staff and the benefits of our extended operating days of the EDSSU.
"With full staffing capacity, we are confident that the ED will continue to improve wait times and patient experiences at Maitland Hospital."
