ALMOST four patients a day on average waited for more than 24 hours to get a hospital bed in Tasmania's public emergency departments, new figures reveal.
The Mercury last week revealed 169 Royal Hobart Hospital emergency department patients a year waited more than 24 hours to get a bed -- but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
New figures for the state's four public hospitals show 1348 patients had to wait a day or more during 2011-2012. The Launceston General Hospital was clearly the worst, with 1152 patients waiting 24 hours or more for a hospital bed.
The figures from 2011-12 were the most recent available but the department said work was being done to improve the hospitals with major infrastructure upgrades at the LGH and RHH under way.
The most recent statistics follow figures, reported by the Mercury last week, that showed the longest time that patients in Tasmania's four public hospitals waited to get a bed last year was between 30 and 159 hours.
The statistics again prompted calls from the Australian Nursing Federation and Opposition health spokesman Jeremy Rockliff for more hospital beds to be opened up to cater for demand in the emergency department.
The latest figures released to the Mercury yesterday show that of the 48,394 presentations to the LGH emergency department, 29.5 per cent were admitted to the hospital.
But about one in eight of those patients waited more than 24 hours for a hospital bed.
Figures from the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie (where 16 had to stay in the emergency department more than 24 hours before admission), the Mersey Community Hospital (where there were 11) and the RHH (169) paled in comparison to the LGH.
The chairman of the three Tasmanian Health Organisations, Graeme Houghton, said emergency department performance was improving.
"All ED patients are in safe hands receiving appropriate clinical care while waiting for admission to a hospital bed," Mr Houghton said.
"The LGH has always provided appropriate care in an appropriate clinical environment.
"Waiting for admission to a hospital bed is regrettable which is why we are working to further improve ED performance with significant investment from both state and federal governments, including at the Launceston General Hospital."
matthew.smith@news.com.au
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