Fears of strain on South Tyrone hospital after sharp rise in admissions
MEDICAL ADMISSIONS at local hospitals have reached new highs after an almost 30 percent increase over the past two years.
Last year 2,153 medical patients were admistted through the doors of South Tyrone Hospital, rising by 134 from 2,019 in 2009.
The rise was more steep at Craigavon Hospital, which admitted 8,362 patients, an increase of 1,877 from 2009 when there were 6,485 patients treated at the hospital. This equates to a rise of 29%.
Patients admitted for surgery at Craigavon Hospital fell by 162 over the same period from 11,193 admissions to 11,031.
Hospital chiefs said the sharp hike in medical admissions can be explained by a rapidly growing population, a reduction in patients being referred to independent hospitals, and medical improvements which mean that patients can be diagnosed and treated much more quickly.
Acording to the local health trust, recent advancements greatly reduce the length of time that patients need to stay overnight which in turn allows significantly more people to be treated than previously was the case.
A Trust spokesperson said: “These figures confirm that the Trust is providing safe high quality care and treatment to more and more people every year.
“Our staff work exceptionally hard to ensure that patients receive the best care and treatment at all times and this has contributed hugely to the increases in the number of patients treated.
“The role of hospitals has already changed significantly in recent years and this trend is set to continue under Transforming Your Care.
“In the future, more and more specialist care will be provided in the community and will allow hospitals to focus even more on finding ways of improving patient care and treatment for the most acutely ill people in our community.”
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Tuesday 21 May 2013
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