Multiple ambulances were stuck waiting with patients at Wagga Base Hospital, leading the Australian Paramedics Association to call for solutions to "the health resourcing crisis".
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However, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District said more than 90 per cent of patient transfers are completed within the benchmark target.
On Sunday night, seven ambulances and their crews were stuck waiting in bed block.
Australian Paramedics Association Wagga representative Darren Rudd said issues with "patient flow" at the hospital and increased emergency presentations were affecting services.
He said this could have a flow-on effect on smaller towns with their staff being drawn into Wagga to attend casualty cases.
"While we are tied up and not able to offload, that means we can't get out and serve the community where we are supposed to be," Mr Rudd said.
"That can lead to extended delays for critical incidents.
"It's down to a whole range of things ... but the ED personnel, in my opinion, do an amazing job."
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Mr Rudd said some of the causes in higher patient numbers are outside of the MLHD's control but added more could be done to increase flow productivity.
He said another issue was patients that are transported from outlying hospitals in the MLHD across to Wagga Base during the night.
"In my experience, they could sometimes wait," Mr Rudd said.
"Branch hospitals like Young, Cootamundra and Narrandera - they are sending patients across which could be managed for better."
The general manager of Wagga Base Hospital, Troy Trgetaric, said there is currently an average of 136 presentations at Wagga Base Hospital Emergency Department each day, 24.4 per cent of arriving by ambulance.
He said the average transfer time from ambulance to ED is 17.8 minutes.
"On May 30, there were 151 presentations, with 44 (or 29.1 per cent) arriving by ambulance," Mr Trgetaric said.
"Between 9pm and midnight on May 10, 10 patients arrived by Ambulance. Eight patients were from Wagga, one from Tumbarumba and one from Junee. Two of these patients required one-on-one nursing support.
"An average of 36 patients per day are being admitted to Wagga Base Hospital after presenting to the Emergency Department. On May 30 and 31, there were 41 patients admitted each day."
Mr Trgetaric said the benchmark target for patients arriving by ambulance to be transferred from the ambulance stretcher to an ED bed is 90 per cent within 30 minutes, adding that despite the increase in activity, Wagga Base has maintained a year-to-date average of 90.21 per cent transferred within that timeframe.
Mr Trgetaric said a Transfer of Care Winter Strategy 2021 would see the ED partner with the NSW Ambulance Service to review and discuss the timing of planned transfers.
He said improvements in bedside triage and handover on the patient's arrival at the ED are also being implemented.
"As far as transfers from other hospitals, it is the decision of the treating doctor to transfer a patient," Mr Trgetaric said.
"If NSW Ambulance officers believe a patient transfer could be deferred to another time, there is a clear escalation process to be followed.
"The Paramedics Association has not contacted the hospital about any concerns."
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