Tasmania’s nursing union called for a Code Brown to be declared at Launceston General Hospital after the emergency department was overwhelmed overnight, describing the scene as a “mass casualty event”.
Emily Shepherd from the nursing union said almost every space in the emergency department was filled on Wednesday night, with patients parked in corridors.
“We called for a Code Brown to be called because effectively that is what’s called when there’s a mass casualty and there’s no other way to describe the emergency department here at the LGH last night other than this was a mass casualty event,” she told 7NEWS.
A Code Brown would have forced all staff on shift to remain at the hospital and required off-duty staff to come in.
It is the second time in weeks the union has requested such a declaration.
The ANMF said when it arrived at the LGH there were 71 patients in the department, with 34 in the waiting room who had been waiting for hours and multiple patients also ramped.
Staff worked eight double shifts to meet patient demand.
Shepherd said staff felt they were on the brink of disaster.
“As our members articulated to us last evening, they felt they were one step away from a catastrophe and ultimately our members have seen this catastrophe coming for many years,” she said.
In a statement to Pulse, the Department of Health confirmed the LGH experienced higher than expected demand on Wednesday and that escalation plans were put in place.
“Winter is a traditionally busy time for our hospitals and all our hospitals are experienced in managing peaks in demand and have well-established escalation protocols and procedures to manage these surge periods,” a department spokesperson said.
The department also noted that on any given day, around 100 patients remain in a Tasmanian hospital bed who are medically ready to be discharged but face long delays waiting for aged care or NDIS places.
Minister Nick Duigan attributed the surge to seasonal pressure, saying the spike in demand was typical for the time of year.
The Royal Hobart Hospital also had a difficult night, with a HACSU spokesperson saying “the situation was very bad”.
One in three ambulances were reportedly ramped for at least an hour, with several stuck for at least six hours.
The department urged Tasmanians with non-emergency health concerns to call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 or visit a GP, pharmacy or Medicare Urgent Care Clinic instead of attending emergency.
