The results, which were shared with Deniliquin’s Local Health Advisory Committee by facility manager Virginia Lange, relate specifically to the hospital’s emergency department.
Triage benchmarks are determined by the urgency of care needed and set a standard from the time of presentation, to the time of treatment.
If a category one (very urgent) presents, treatment has to be initiated within two minutes of presentation and if a category five (not urgent) presents, they have to be attended to within 120 minutes of presentation.
Deniliquin LHAC chair Lourene Liebenberg said the results were ‘‘fantastic’’.
‘‘This is testimony of the dedication of staff and the quality of care received at our local ED, in particular throughout the COVID-19 period with increased processes and safety measures,’’ she said.
Mrs Liebenberg said reports like this are shared with LHAC during monthly meetings with Deniliquin Hospital management intended to ‘‘ensure our community stays informed about available services’’.
‘‘LHAC is a conduit between the health services and community, ensuring two-way communication and collaboration provides the Deniliquin community with relevant updates, changes and new developments,’’ Mrs Liebenberg said.
‘‘At our meeting held on October 13, guest speaker Jill Owens — who is the Aboriginal health education officer based in Deniliquin — shared some information about her role and partnerships, ensuring the health and well-being of Aboriginal members in our community are addressed.
‘‘Jill shared information about the ‘48 hour Follow Up’ initiative. This is a service for patients who have been in hospital for things such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease or kidney disease, ensuring check in on their well-being within 48 hours of discharge.
‘‘The value of this is that ongoing health needs can be identified and services put in place to support the patient’s recovery and prevent unnecessary admissions.’’
At the meetings, Mrs Lange also provides LHAC with a manger’s report, which covers activity across all areas of the hospital, updates on quality and patient safety, staffing and recruiting updates as well as a brief financial update.
‘‘This update is a fantastic way for LHAC members to gain insight into our facility, the work being done behind the scenes and contributes greatly to open and transparent communication,’’ Mrs Liebenberg said.
‘‘This is so important in building a trusting and collaborative partnership.
‘‘Deni LHAC remains intent on not only supporting our local health services, but also to advocate for and on behalf of the community.
‘‘Anyone wanting to provide feedback is encouraged to contact any LHAC member.’’
Mrs Liebenberg can be contacted via email at lourene@bigpond.com or call 0428 281 060. Contact can also be made via the group’s Facebook page.
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