BED occupancy rates at Broken Hill Base Hospital are nearing 60 to 70 per cent, a report given to the local council has revealed.
Last year, Broken Hill City Council asked the Far West Local Health District to provide a report regarding occupancy rates at the hospital over the past five years and that the figures include influenza seasons: periods where the beds were unavailable in various wards and the number of beds occupied by patients waiting for aged care facility placement.
No data was made available in relation to unavailability of beds in various wards in the report.
During flu season, bed occupancy rates tended to be higher compared to other times.
Bed number impacts especially visible during peak influenza months — typically June to September — where spikes in occupancy rates occur.
The report showed that there has been a gradual increase in bed occupancy rates over the years, approaching 60 – 70 per cent consistently by 2024.
“Bed occupancy rates at Broken Hill Health Service show a marked increase during the influenza season due to higher hospital admissions,” the report stated.
“Additionally, there is a long-term upward trend in overall occupancy rates.
“Delays in transferring patients to aged care facilities further contribute to this pressure, as many facilities are operating at full capacity due to staffing constraints and challenges related to updated legislation particularly in restrictive practices, leaving age care facilities unequipped to manage patients with complex or challenging behaviours, resulting in prolonged hospital stays.”
BHCC Mayor Cr Tom Kennedy said the report was really concerning to see.
“Especially when you read in conjunction with the reports that were commissioned in the early 2000s to pull down the hospital and that was given on the data that our population would be 9000 people,” he said.
“We’re not 9000, we’re closer to 19,000 people.
“So, on top of this, we also had at any one time about 25 per cent of our emergency or acute care beds occupied by people that should be in nursing homes.”
Cr Kennedy said Southern Cross Care management are looking at a range of plans to try and change these statistics.
“Probably one of the benefits that we do have is that Southern Cross Care Queensland have got involved and they are in partnership with our local Southern Cross Care,” he said.
“They have a lot of a range of plans that do improve the facility itself.
“They have been given some guarantees from the Federal Government that they are interested in expanding the facility, not necessarily extra bed positions, but an improved facility and to look at that in-between care.
“Where you really shouldn’t be in a nursing home, but they’re not ready to go home or they can’t go home.
“Some of that would be more like a retirement type village similar to Shorty O’Neil Village was in its initial days or Con Crowley village, where you have some access to our care, but you don’t need that nursing care.”
A Far West Local Health District spokesperson said staff closely monitor bed occupancy at the hospital.
“Bed occupancy rates typically fluctuate depending on demand and season, for example, during peak months for influenza and other respiratory viruses when increases in-patient admissions contribute to higher bed occupancy rates, as detailed in the Broken Hill City Council report,” he said.
“Bed occupancy rates also reflect the number of patients who are awaiting placement in an aged care facility in the community.
“These rates can fluctuate recognising that people awaiting placement in an aged care home often have complex and concurrent medical needs.”
As to whether FWLHD staff may look at establishing an in-patient care centre, the spokesperson said aged care is provided for by Southern Cross Care.
“The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care holds funding, regulatory and policy responsibility for aged care,” the spokesperson said.
“There are currently no plans by Far West LHD to establish an inpatient centre for patients awaiting an aged care place.
“Southern Cross Care is the Residential Aged Care Provider for Broken Hill.”
