Penrith residents have proved themselves to be switched on when it comes to their health after a national study showed findings that were not consistent with cases at the Nepean Hospital Emergency Department.
A study by the Australian institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found that one in three presentations to hospital emergency wards are not urgent and could have been resolved by a visit to a local General Practitioner (GP).
According to Rod Bishop, Director Emergency Medicine at Nepean Hospital, this is not the case in the local area.
“We recognise that the presentation of patients not requiring specialised Emergency Department (ED) treatment to EDs may be an issue for some Hospitals across the country, however this is not currently an issue at Nepean Hospital,” he said.
“Just because a patient has lower urgency does not equate to them being suitable for a GP. However, we do recommend that people suffering from minor ailments such as coughs and colds see their GP as a first port of call.”
There were over 6.5 million presentations to Australian emergency departments in the 12 months to 30 June this year.
