An internal Fraser Health Authority Report shows a hike in emergency room visits and the number of days patients are in hospital putting even more pressure on a system already at capacity which may be preventing some from getting the care they need.
The report says in the fiscal year 2011-2012 there was a 7.3-per cent increase in ER visits, a 3.9-per cent hike in the number of in-patients and a five-per cent bump in the number of days patients stay in hospital.
The report goes on to say demographics are putting growing pressure on the already limited capacity and at times “impeding access to appropriate care.”
As well, the imbalance between the number of acute care in-patients beds available and patients waiting for a bed results in ‘congestion’ and patients being cared for in less-than-ideal locations.
NDP health critic Mike Farnworth says the report shows the government is failing to find people the appropriate level of care, “We know one of the key problems in our healthcare system is people occupying acute care beds when that’s not what they need or showing up at the emergency ward when there are alternatives that should be available to them.”
Farnworth says the solution is to focus on home and preventative care.
Marc Pelletier is Vice-President of Clinical Operations for Fraser Health.
He says improvements won’t happen overnight but the recent opening of the Jim Pattison Outpatient Centre is helping, “We’re building lots of stuff in Fraser Health which is the exciting part but is it keeping up fast enough? Soon enough maybe, not so you know, we opened, last year, the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgical Centre and that has relieved some pressure in Surrey and particularly Surrey Hospital.”
As well, the Surrey Memorial Redevelopment and Expansion Project scheduled for completion in 2014 will add another 150 acute care beds.
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