On the A&E at North Shore Hospital
Periodically I do something stupid in some way to do with activity. A few bike crashes, stopping myself with my face when running down a forest track, ripping my knee open in an off-road duathon, a bee sting to find I had an allergy …
You get to test out the A&E Departments around the country.
After a concussion and a bit of blood flowing on Saturday I eventually ended up in the North Shore Hospital A&E about 3pm. There was about twenty people waiting in a range of states and ways.
The short story is the one that many people tell from NZ A&E experiences; i.e. I finally made it home about 3am.
The other experiences were much more remarkabe.
Every nurse, nurse assistant, administration person was remarkable. No one apperared stressed, every question was answered positively, they were entirely professional and explained why they were doing each task – including asking me repititive questions to ensure I was on the right planet.
The doctor did not become available for me until 9pm. He also took time, explained things clearly – including why they were taking next steps (CT of head and neck). For the next while I was in the emergency ward where the atmosphere was equally positive and it was also very clear that the staff treated each other well – not just the patients.
At about 1am the doctor appeared again – with good news. I had avoided skull and neck fractures but that it was now his job so sew up the cuts in my scalp. He took an hour, apologised every time I just about leapt off the bed, explained what he was doing and talked sport throughout.
I had to ask – nicely; “why does the whole A&E process take so long?”
His response was that it is something all of the front line staff desperately want to change and that they have worked hard to get their systems and approach right but that so much resourcing is soaked up by policy and administration. His previous experience overseas had seen a minismisation of the number of non-medical middle managers and external, Ministry, resourcing. He also noted that here any decisions seem to take 20 people to make just because so many have an oar to stick in that has little to do with patient care.
I tell the story because this week the nurses are on strike for pay and conditions. Hospitals are for providing care for paitients when they need it. Like education – clearly a massive amount of resource is diverted away to people and places that really do not achieve very much at all re the true purpose.
I also have no doubt that a lot of the non-medical people – and the Ministry people – are paid a lot better that the vast majority of those doing a brilliant job in the ward.
To the North Shore Hospital A&E people. I appreciated your care!
To the Nurses – all the best with your fight.
Alwyn Poole
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