CLOSE to a third of emergency patients at Werribee Mercy Hospital are waiting more than four hours for treatment.
Latest figures from the National Health Performance Authority reveal that between January and March the hospital treated 69 per cent of emergency department patients within four hours of their arrival.
National benchmarks require hospitals to treat 75 per cent of patients within four hours. By 2015, the benchmark will increase to 90 per cent.
Werribee Mercy, which is classed as a large metropolitan hospital, was the worst-performing Victorian hospital in its group.
Sandringham Hospital treated 79 per cent of emergency patients within the required time, while 70 per cent of patients at Angliss Hospital were treated in a timely manner. The best-performing large metropolitan hospital was Manly in NSW (84 per cent).
Werribee Mercy was one of six Victorian hospitals which failed to reach the benchmark. Mercy Public Hospitals executive director, Linda Mellors said demand for emergency services was high but the hospital was working to improve waiting times.
“Improvements include more effective liaison with local GPs, investment in new equipment as well as improving internal processes.” Dr Mellors said patient treatment times for the March quarter were up slightly from the same time last year, when 66 per cent of patients were treated within four hours.
