Advertisement

Minor cases swamp Perth EDs

Long wait: Dr Dave Mountain. Picture: Dione Davidson/The West Australian

More than 250,000 patients a year are swamping Perth hospital emergency departments with trivial problems such as upset stomachs and grazed knees, according to health officials.

WA Health Department figures show 42 per cent of the almost 600,000 patients who went to metropolitan emergency departments last year were "GP-type" cases - defined as walk-ins with low-level medical complaints.

Princess Margaret Hospital had the biggest rate, with 67 per cent GP-type cases, but doctors said this was likely to reflect parents being more panicky about sick children, particularly in the middle of the night.

Other cases regularly seen in emergency departments in the metropolitan area included toothaches, splinters and people wanting to get a referral to a specialist or have their prescription renewed.

The department said that in a true medical emergency people should not hesitate to seek help, but acting director-general of Health Bryant Stokes said it was important that emergency departments were kept for the very sickest of patients.

"West Australians are encouraged to consider whether their medical condition warrants immediate emergency attention, and there are a number of options available to help people with less serious conditions and these should be explored in the first instance," Professor Stokes said.

People could see a GP, visit an after-hours GP clinic, or call the 24-hour Healthdirect Australia advice line rather than attend an emergency department.

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital emergency physician Dave Mountain said he believed the figures overstated the number of GP-type cases but agreed there were trivial cases presenting at hospitals that could easily be treated by a GP or even managed at home.

"There are clearly people who come through at the first sign of not feeling well, like the first time they vomit or have diarrhoea, when they really could have managed it at home unless it got worse," Dr Mountain said. "There can be a low threshold for people arriving with minor gastroenteritis-type illness, like a bit of reflux, or people with minor grazes and scrapes that probably a bit of self-care could have looked after."

Dr Mountain said the downside for patients with minor complaints was that if emergency departments were busy, they faced long delays.