6 November 2017
Health Sector Workers Network
Via e-mail:
[FYI request #6688 email]
Dear Health Sector Workers Network
Official Information Act Request – Our Reference 2017/229
Thank you for your e-mail received by Capital and Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) on 12 October
2017, in which under the Official Information Act 1982 you requested information relating to
Emergency Department (ED) presentations and the use of an ED Observation Unit.
Your request asks for the following information. Please see our answers under each.
1. What are the percentages of patients presenting to the Emergency Departments that were
admitted, discharged or transferred within six hours of presentation for each month of the year June
2016 to June 2017?
The table below summarises the percentage of presentations to Wellington ED by month over the 13
month period Jun 2016 to Jun 2017 and the grouped outcomes of the patient’s visit and the time spent
in the Wellington Emergency Department excluding patients who “Did not wait”.
Presentations
% of Presentations
Less than Six Hours
More than Six Hours
Less than Six Hours
More than Six Hours
Patient Admitted
2016
Jun
1,389
401
78%
22%
Jul
1,383
494
74%
26%
Aug
1,379
529
72%
28%
Sep
1,372
508
73%
27%
Oct
1,414
485
74%
26%
Nov
1,410
371
79%
21%
Dec
1,467
319
82%
18%
2017
Jan
1,516
269
85%
15%
Feb
1,461
239
86%
14%
Mar
1,581
318
83%
17%
Apr
1,433
308
82%
18%
May
1,507
342
82%
18%
Jun
1,396
479
74%
26%
Treated and Discharged
2016
Jun
2,865
167
94%
6%
Jul
2,865
284
91%
9%
Aug
2,898
263
92%
8%
Sep
2,865
209
93%
7%
Oct
3,059
221
93%
7%
Nov
2,929
156
95%
5%
Dec
3,043
170
95%
5%
2017
Jan
2,974
98
97%
3%
Feb
2,860
109
96%
4%
Mar
3,271
148
96%
4%
Apr
3,075
129
96%
4%
May
3,236
136
96%
4%
Jun
2,998
197
94%
6%
Capital & Coast DHB | Private Bag 7902, Wellington South
Wellington Hospital, Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021
Phone: 04 385 5999
| Fax: 04 385 5856
2. Please provide any DHB policy concerning guidelines and use of the ED observation unit? By “ED
observation unit”, we are referring to the usage defined by the Ministry Of Health in the paper
Streaming and the use of Emergency Department Observation Units and Inpatient Assessment Units.
Wellington Regional Hospital’s Short Stay Unit also includes up to 8 ED observation beds. A copy of the
Admission Criteria for Short Stay Unit is attached.
3. What percentage of total ED presentations for each month of the year June 2016 to June 2017
utilised the ED Observation unit?
ED Statistics for EDOU Use
% of total ED presentations utilised
8%
7%
8%
8%
8%
9%
8%
8%
9%
9%
8%
8%
7%
EDOU
4. What percentage of patients utilising the ED observation unit were discharged home from this
location for each month of the year June 2016 to June 2017?
06-2016
07-2016
08-2016
09-2016
10-2016
11-2016
12-2016
01-2017
02-2017
03-2017
04-2017
05-2017
06-2017
ED Statistics for EDOU Use
% patients discharged home from
94%
95%
95%
94%
92%
94%
92%
92%
95%
93%
95%
93%
93%
EDOU
5. What is your DHB’s expected length of stay for the patients utilising the ED observation unit?
24 hours
6. What percentage of patients for each month of the year June 2016 to June 2017 exceeding the
length of stay given in question 5?
06-2016
07-2016
08-2016
09-2016
10-2016
11-2016
12-2016
01-2017
02-2017
03-2017
04-2017
05-2017
06-2017
ED Statistics for EDOU Use
% exceeding 24 hour Length of
7%
6%
9%
8%
6%
5%
8%
5%
7%
5%
5%
5%
7%
Stay
I hope this information addresses your query. You have a right to seek a review, under section 28(3) of
the Official Information Act, by way of a complaint to the Ombudsman, about the information that has
been provided to you.
Kind regards
Carey Virtue
Executive Director, Operations
Medicine, Cancer and Community Directorate
Capital & Coast DHB | Private Bag 7902, Wellington South
Wellington Hospital, Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021
Phone: 04 385 5999
| Fax: 04 385 5856
