This represents a 2.7 per cent increase in emergency presentations compared to the same quarter last year, across the LHD. 

However, elective surgery waiting times are down for the same period.

Chief Executive of Southern NSW Local Health District Andrew Newton said despite this increase, 83 per cent of patients left the emergency department within four hours, which was a slight increase on last year of 0.3 per cent.

Mr Newton said the results from the Bureau of Health Information quarterly report July to September 2018 clearly demonstrated patients treated in Southern NSW Local Health District (LHD) hospitals have waited less time in emergency departments and are having their elective surgery performed more quickly.

“This is an excellent result and my sincere thanks go to all the staff who have worked tirelessly to achieve these results,” Mr Newton said. 

The median time for patients visiting the Goulburn Base Hospital Emergency Department was 2 hours and 36 minutes.

“The median patient wait times for elective surgery across the Health District sits at 160 days for non-urgent elective surgery, compared to the NSW median of 228 days,” he said.

“The number of elective surgery procedures performed increased by 11.8 percent to 1601.”

The median time waiting for opthalmology surgery dropped by 53 days, with 100 per cent of surgery being performed within the clinically recommended timeframes. 

He said the figures come on the back of extensive investment by the NSW Government in a number of facilities across the district, with $120 million being spent redeveloping the Goulburn Health Service.

The upgraded Goulburn Base Hospital is the main element of this project.

Funding for the Braidwood MultiPurpose Service (MPS) redevelopment is also coming from the $300-million state-wide program of works to upgrade MPS facilities in a number of rural and remote communities across NSW.

The 2018-19 budget for Southern NSW Local Health District is over $419 million, an increase of over $16 million on the 2017-18 annual budget.

Between mid-2012 and mid-2018, the LHD has increased its workforce by an additional 440 full-time equivalent staff.