The Emergency Department at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital was in a continuous “Code Yellow” emergency status for more than five days this week.
A code yellow is an internal emergency that indicates patient outcomes could be adversely affected.
Bed reports show that for five days the 54-bed ED was working at more than 150 per cent capacity, and for two days at more than 200 per cent capacity.
Shadow Health minister Libby Mettam said staff are at breaking point.
“Staff are being forced to work in circumstances in which they know they cannot deliver optimal care,” Ms Mettam said.
“I have been contacted by staff who say they fear for the safety of their patients.
“More than a year ago the Health Minister promised that the upgrade of the SCGH ED would go ahead despite the decision to not locate the new Women and Babies Hospital at QEII, but nothing has happened.
“Staff are desperate for the additional ED beds and the additional operating theatres and expanded Intensive Care Unit which were to be part of the WBH relocation.”
Ms Mettam said she had been contacted by clinical staff concerned about the high number of clinical incident reports happening within the ED.
“Staff know they cannot work safely in an ED that is operating at 200 per cent capacity but say their concerns are being ignored,” she said.
“My office is being consistently contacted by concerned clinicians who say their pleas continue to fall onto the Cook Labor Government’s deaf ears.
“One told me there have been six workplace grievances lodged with the Australian Nursing Federation over the past two weeks relating to over-capacity working conditions and the resulting unsafe working conditions.”
Ms Mettam said while some details of a current capacity indicated at least 10 more ED beds, were required at SCGH, along with the additional operating theatres and expanded Intensive Care Unit promised as part of the WBH relocation to QEII.
“While the Government yesterday told some media they do have plans to improve SCGH emergency dept, the public and those on the frontline at SCGH are still in the dark to exactly what those plans are,” she said.
“It is appalling that during the state’s biggest boom, the government has failed to deliver the promised expansion of this emergency department, again highlighting that health has not been a priority of the Cook Labor Government.
“Western Australians are living in an era of out-of-control ramping, exhausted and overworked clinicians and medical staff, unprecedented elective we surgery and specialist waitlists, and unacceptable patient deaths, while the Government is sitting on record amounts of cash,” she said.
“Western Australians deserve better than a Labor Government that refuses to take responsibility for the crisis raging in our health system.”
