Code Black spike linked to ED failure
Feb 21, 2012
Martin Hamilton-Smith MP
Shadow Minister for Health & Ageing
Shadow Minister for Mental Health
Shadow Minister for Substance Abuse
Code Black spike linked to ED failure
The Opposition is calling on the Minister for Health to commission an inquiry into the striking increase in the number of violent and aggressive attacks towards staff and patients in hospitals known as ‘code black incidents’.
“Information just revealed in Parliament shows that the number of code black incidents at Lyell McEwin increased by 34 per cent from 2009 to 2010. In the same time frame, incidents at Noarlunga Hospital rose by 48 per cent! At Flinders Medical Centre and the Royal Adelaide Hospital violent incidents were up 21 per cent and 12 per cent respectively. This is completely unacceptable,” Shadow Minister for Health Martin Hamilton-Smith said.
“I am concerned that long queues at emergency departments where emergency and urgent casualties are not being seen within the required ten and thirty minute timeframe may be contributing to the anger and frustration being demonstrated towards overstretched health workers.
“The Opposition has previously revealed that around 23 per cent of emergency casualties are not being seen within ten minutes and 37 per cent of urgent cases are not being dealt with on time.
“There appears to be a direct correlation in the waiting queues at emergency departments in specific hospitals and this spike in violent behaviour. For example, at Lyell McEwin only 52 per cent of urgent cases were being seen within the crucial 30 minute time frame. Flinders, Adelaide, Noarlunga have similarly distressing figures for emergency and urgent cases.
“Code black is the term used in hospitals when staff call for help to deal with a patient of visitor who is compromising safety with aggressive, intimidating or violent behaviour.
“The Minister needs to commission an inquiry so that we can find out the causes for this spike in violent behaviour in our hospitals. We need to identify solutions.
“SA is the worst performing of all the states on getting people out of emergency departments within the nationally agreed ‘four hour rule’ with only 59.4 per cent being attended to on time.
“The government is currently tendering for SA Health Security Services for all hospitals in Adelaide. How much funding will be diverted from healthcare to pay for this?” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.