Presentations at Canberra’s two hospital emergency departments hit a record high in the last financial year with just over 60 per cent of patients seen on time.
The ACT Government Health Directorate’s annual report shows there were more than 125,000 presentations to the emergency departments at Canberra Hospital in Woden and Calvary Hospital at Bruce in the year to June.
That is a 6 per cent increase on the previous year and the highest number ever recorded in a single year.
The trend looks set to continue as nearly 11,400 people attended the busy Canberra Hospital emergency department for treatment in August 2014.
This is despite the establishment of a bulk-billed home visit doctor service by a private company.
The annual figures also show there was a slight improvement in the number of patients being seen on time, at just over 60 per cent, but that is still well below the national target of 70 per cent.
Elective surgery waiting lists increased 2.5 per cent in 2013–14.
However waiting times for surgery have improved.
Median waiting times are still considered high at 48 days but that has dropped significantly from the 77 days, recorded three years ago.
The elective surgery backlog has also been reduced with a record number of procedures performed in the past year.