ANNUAL REPORT - Northern Health

demonstrate the importance of collaboration between
health services to provide access for the community. The
completion of the upgrade of the existing 25-bed ward will
take the total number of beds to 50, one of the biggest
mental health facilities in the state.
The new unit includes single bedrooms with ensuite facilities,
three separate wings which will meet the special needs of
women and adolescents, several smaller lounge areas with
small courtyards rather than one large area for all patients
and a family room for visitors.
Improvements in access to Day Surgery at Broadmeadows
Health Service has resulted in an increase in theatre
scheduling from 68% in December 2009 to 91% in March
2010. The implementation of the Department of Health
Elective Surgery Access Policy saw improvements in patient
communication and overall elective surgery waiting list
management.
Northern Health also achieved a significant reduction in the
overall surgical waiting list, including those patients waiting
longer than the recommended waiting time. Strategies
to help achieve this included early review of long waiting
patients as outpatients. Plans are put in place to ensure
timely surgery, case management of long waiting patients,
better waiting list management and outsourcing some
surgery to other surgical facilities.
Northern Health’s Department of Cardiology has seen a large
increase in activity and services throughout the past three
years and following the commencement of a 24 hour, 365
days a year service in late 2007. Demand by patients in the
northern suburbs for local delivery of acute and ambulatory
cardiac services has continued to grow rapidly.
The cardiology outpatient department has doubled
in size and now sees approximately 10,000 patients a
year, with clinics offering expertise in general cardiology,
electrophysiology (heart rhythm), pacemakers and heart
failure, as well as a rapid access chest pain clinic. A new
outpatient area was developed in 2009 to accommodate
an ever increasing referral population which now sees
cardiology clinics running every week day. Patients in
Melbourne’s north no longer have to travel to inner city
hospitals to access high quality outpatient cardiac services.
Inpatient services have dramatically expanded over the past
three years, most notably with the commencement of a
regular Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) program
(stenting coronary arteries for patients with angina and heart
attack).
The PCI service has developed to include a state of the art
primary PCI service (emergency 24/7 treatment for heart
attack victims). Time-to-treatment saves lives in patients
having heart attacks, and new protocols developed in
conjunction with the Ambulance Service and the Emergency
Department have dramatically improved response times for
these critically ill patients.
This has seen an almost 1000% increase in volume from
approximately four patients treated per month to 40 patients
treated per month.
Previously these patients were transferred to other facilities
across Melbourne. Patients now benefit from reduced
lengths of hospital stay and improved access for family and
friends during their admission. The huge increase in demand
for such services has seen the state government allocate
$7.4m for a new cardiac precinct which will include two new
cardiac catheter laboratories. This is due for completion in
December 2011. All of the cardiologists at Northern Health
exceed minimum requirements set by the Cardiac Society
of Australia and New Zealand (CASNZ) for accreditation to
perform diagnostic and invasive cardiac procedures.
Out of hours specialist staff are now alerted and mobilised
even before the patient arrives at Northern Health. Rural
hospitals including Bendigo, Kilmore, Echuca and Seymour
have made use of this service, with patients being transferred
directly via ambulance and even helicopter. The PCI service,
including primary PCI, is formally monitored fortnightly with
feedback to physicians, the Emergency department and
Ambulance staff on a regular basis.
Cardiac Rehabilitation services at Northern Health have
needed to grow to meet local patient needs. A service at
Craigieburn Health Service commenced in February 2008
and due to high demand, a second Cardiac Rehabilitation
program started in February 2010. The new program runs
out-of-hours (6 – 8pm) to improve access for patients of
working age who have difficulty attending during standard
business hours.
All patients have an individual assessment by a cardiac
nurse and physiotherapist before joining the program where
they set short and long term goals. A cardiac depression
scale is also used to identify patients at risk and if required
offered intervention. Education sessions are presented by
a dietitian, cardiac nurse, social worker physiotherapist and
include education about risk factor modification, healthy
food options, medications, stress management, emotional
reactions, pathology, exercise and returning to activity.
Exercise is focused around aerobic and strengthening
training and patients are encouraged to become
independent with their own programs with assistance from
the physiotherapist.
09/10 Northern Health Annual Report 29