Stuff Digital Edition

Children’s ED to open despite staff shortages

Cate Macintosh

A purpose-built Children’s Emergency Care (CEC) area in Christchurch Hospital which has been idle for 21 months will finally be put to use following a decision to fund the required staffing.

Te Whatu Ora Canterbury (formerly Canterbury District Health Board) chief of child health Dr Clare Doocey said a child-friendly and specific environment for children in need of emergency medical care was considered international best practice.

‘‘It will enable children and their families presenting for emergency and acute care to be treated in an environment designed to meet their needs, away from adult patients and the activity in a busy Emergency Department (ED).’’

The Waipapa hospital building, which opened in mid-November 2020, included spaces for a CEC, an adolescent and young adults cancer unit and an ED observation unit, but a lack of funding for staff meant they could not be used.

From September 12, the 23-bed CEC area will house ED services and an acute assessment service for children and young people referred with acute medical and some surgical conditions, Doocey said.

Some of the estimated 40 fulltime Equivalent (FTE) roles required to open the area are currently located in ED and child health, with about nine new FTE staff recruited. About three FTE roles are yet to be recruited.

Across the ED there are 11.5 FTE nursing and 4 FTE medical vacancies.

A 12-bed emergency observation area was yet to be resourced, a Te Whatu Ora spokesperson said.

Paediatric oncologist Tristan Pettit said no funding had been allocated for extra nursing for the adolescent and young adult cancer unit, which remains closed.

In July, a Christchurch ED nurse told The Press on condition of anonymity that most shifts are short of several staff, leaving those on duty to care for up to 10 non-urgent patients at a time.

‘‘By the end, I’m sick of saying sorry, and I feel cold and heartless,’’ she says.

The nurse expressed concern about how the new CEC would open when the organisation was unable to adequately resource ED.

Doocey said consultation ‘‘has been ongoing since 2019 on how to adequately fund and resource this area’’.

‘‘We have continued to push ahead with measures to resource this area as it is the best thing to do for children and young people.’’

Funding for extra staffing was approved this year, Doocey said.

News

en-nz

2022-08-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281638193984165

Stuff Limited