Latest news with #WAHealth
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
St John Ambulance WA records worst ambulance ramping figures for May
The Australian Medical Association has warned record levels of ambulance ramping could lead to increased deaths among patients waiting for emergency care, as Western Australia faces its worst flu season in at least three years. St John Ambulance data shows last month was the worst May on record for ambulance ramping, with patients spending 5,333 hours parked outside WA hospitals. Ramping occurs any time an ambulance spends more than 30 minutes waiting outside a hospital for their patient to be received. The previous record for May was 5,258 hours in 2022, at the tail-end of the COVID pandemic. During May last year, ambulances spent 4,837 hours ramped outside of hospitals. It comes as WA faces its worst flu season since at least 2022, which could put extra pressure on hospitals, with 6,983 influenza cases already reported to WA Health so far this year. Australian Medical Association WA president Michael Page said that was a concern for doctors. "We know that the longer a patient is waiting for emergency department care, the higher the chance of death," he said. "There's a lot of good international evidence about that and there's no reason to think things would be any different here." Dr Page attributed the issues to long-term pressures in the health system, most acutely a shortage of hospital beds and doctors and nurses. The main short-term solution, he said, was increasing WA's vaccination rates. Data from the Australian Immunisation Register shows Western Australia has the lowest flu vaccination rate of all states with only 19 per cent of sandgropers vaccinated this year. "That is a role for our new Preventative Health Minister, whose portfolio includes vaccination," Dr Page said. "So we would like to see strong action from government on researching the reasons that people are declining to be vaccinated and addressing those problems head on." The WA government has promised hundreds of millions of dollars to address ramping pressures, including expanding its Virtual Emergency Department program which aims to divert patients from EDs. Asked about the current level of ramping, Premier Roger Cook also pointed to election commitments to upgrade emergency departments at Royal Perth and Midland hospitals. "We continue to make sure that we grow hospital beds, and the staff that stand by them, so that's an important part of it," he said. "Ultimately we need better flow of patients, so that's one of the reasons we have our $100 million aged care support package. "And of course we want to make sure that we have a healthy population, which means that we need to continue to encourage the federal government to grow urgent care clinics and the opportunities to get primary care." Dr Page said while those measures would help, there was no avoiding the need to build more beds. "So building more ED beds might, in the short term, improve the EDs ability to see patients coming in through the front door, sure, but it doesn't solve the problem that patients are still waiting in our EDs for beds on the wards." Shadow Health Minister Libby Mettam said the issues showed the government had the wrong priorities and urged it to outline what its "surge plan" was to deal with increased demand. "The Cook Labor government need to outline that plan and outline how they will better support and incentivise our health workers to ensure we have the staff that we need, that there are reforms in place to better support our emergency departments," she said. "They need to make health a priority, they need to ensure that there is a surge plan ahead of winter and ensure that our emergency departments and our health services across the community have the support that they require to ensure lives will not be lost. Dr Page said he was unsure what a surge plan would look like. "Hospitals are routinely over 100 per cent capacity because the wards are full and there are patients waiting in corridors for proper ward beds," he said. "So where is surge capacity going to come from when you're running at over one hundred per cent capacity already?"
Economic Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Economic Times
New COVID variant explodes across Australia and only 1 in 10 are ready for the new wave, doctors urge vaccination, and how to stay safe
How to get vaccinated Live Events Check your eligibility on your state health website (e.g., Services Australia, WA Health) Book an appointment through your local GP, pharmacy, or vaccination hub It's free for most eligible Australians How to stay safe this winter Wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces Improving ventilation at home and work Washing hands frequently Staying home if you feel unwell Testing for COVID if symptoms appear (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A new COVID-19 variant, NB.1.8.1, is rapidly spreading across Australia. This subvariant, a descendant of Omicron , has been detected in multiple states, including Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia , and World Health Organization (WHO) has designated NB.1.8.1 as a "variant under monitoring" due to its increasing global prevalence and potential to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccinations. In Australia, genomic sequencing indicates that NB.1.8.1 accounts for over 40% of cases in Victoria and is now the dominant strain in wastewater samples collected in is believed to be more transmissible than earlier strains. Research suggests it may infect cells more efficiently and partially sidestep existing immunity. Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches, and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some its increased transmissibility, no current evidence exists that NB.1.8.1 causes more severe illness than previous variants. However, the rise in cases has led to increased hospitalizations, particularly among vulnerable experts encourage the public to understand the importance of booster vaccinations to protect against severe disease. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has strongly encouraged Australians to get their COVID-19 booster, especially as winter approaches. Current vaccines, including the most recent booster targeting the JN.1 variant, are expected to offer protection against uptake in Australia remains low, with just over 6% of Australians receiving a booster in the past six months. Health authorities stress that COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccinations are free and safe to receive together, urging immediate action to prevent a healthcare crisis during the winter addition to vaccination, residents are encouraged to practice good hygiene, stay home when ill, and monitor public health measures are crucial in mitigating the spread of NB.1.8.1 and protecting the community, particularly those at higher risk.
West Australian
28-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
New Covid subvariant NB. 1.8.1 detected in NSW, WA
A new Covid-19 subvariant, NB. 1.8.1, is beginning to take hold in NSW and Western Australia, sparking concern among health authorities as Australia heads into the winter months. According to the latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report, Covid-19 and influenza activity remain low overall, but early signs point to a gradual increase in Covid-19 infections, with test positivity rising to 5.7 per cent in the week ending May 17. 'We are now reporting emerging sublineage NB. 1.8.1 which is increasing in NSW,' the report reads. Wastewater surveillance in Perth also shows NB. 1.8.1 is surging in the region. While the subvariant does not appear to cause more severe illness than earlier strains, its rapid growth is raising flags both locally and internationally. The World Health Organisation recently noted that NB. 1.8.1 was increasing in prevalence globally, including in Hong Kong, where Covid hospitalisations have reached 12-month highs, and also in parts of the US. NSW Health is continuing to monitor the subvariant closely, particularly among ICU patients, to assess any changes in disease severity. For now, the variant appears more transmissible but not more dangerous. Vaccines remain effective at preventing severe disease from NB. 1.8.1, and health officials are urging residents to stay up to date with boosters and flu shots. In both NSW and WA, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is circulating at high levels, especially among children. WA Health has warned of a potentially early start to the flu season, with more than 6500 flu cases already recorded this year and free flu and RSV immunisations available to eligible residents until June 30. Authorities are reminding Australians to maintain good hygiene, stay home when unwell and ensure vaccinations are current to help ease pressure on hospitals over winter.
West Australian
24-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
COVID-19: New subvariant NB.18.1 driving increase in infections in WA
A new COVID-19 subvariant is driving an increase in infections in WA, with hospitalisations increasing to an average of 38 per day in the latest figures. That was up from an average of 31 per day in the previous week. The subvariant NB.1.8.1 is now the dominant COVID-19 subvariant in Perth wastewater, with concentrations of the virus also increasing. NB.1.8.1 is behind surging infections in parts of Asia. In Hong Kong, COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations have climbed to the worst levels in the past 12 months. It has recently been detected in the United States as well. Whilst more transmissible, it's not believed to cause worse symptoms than its antecedents. The World Health Organisation claims NB.1.8.1 is growing rapidly compared to co-circulating variants. COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective against the subvariant in regard to symptomatic and severe disease. 'Despite a concurrent increase in cases and hospitalisations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, current data does not indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation,' it reported on Friday. Influenza activity in WA also increased in the week up to May 18. 'While notifications are above the seasonal threshold it does not yet indicate the start of the influenza season,' WA Health reported. More than a quarter of influenza notifications so far in 2025 were in children aged under 15 years. Influenza notifications and hospitalisations are higher than the previous five-year average, while the number of deaths are lower. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity remains stable in WA, indicating the RSV season has not started. West Australians are being urged to get their flu jabs, with health authorities warning influenza and respiratory syncytial virus cases are set to rise heading into winter. State-funded free flu jabs are available for all West Australians aged five to 64 — including international visitors and those without a Medicare card — until June 30. Free RSV immunisation is also available for infants and pregnant women. As of Thursday this week, there had been 6528 cases of the flu in WA so far this year — while 469,475 people received the jab. 'WA Health encourages all eligible Western Australians to stay up to date with their immunisations and practise good hand and respiratory hygiene,' a spokesperson said.
Perth Now
24-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Grim COVID prediction as cases rise in Perth
A new COVID-19 subvariant is driving an increase in infections in WA, with hospitalisations increasing to an average of 38 per day in the latest figures. That was up from an average of 31 per day in the previous week. The subvariant NB.1.8.1 is now the dominant COVID-19 subvariant in Perth wastewater, with concentrations of the virus also increasing. NB.1.8.1 is behind surging infections in parts of Asia. In Hong Kong, COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations have climbed to the worst levels in the past 12 months. It has recently been detected in the United States as well. Whilst more transmissible, it's not believed to cause worse symptoms than its antecedents. The World Health Organisation claims NB.1.8.1 is growing rapidly compared to co-circulating variants. COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective against the subvariant in regard to symptomatic and severe disease. 'Despite a concurrent increase in cases and hospitalisations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, current data does not indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation,' it reported on Friday. Influenza activity in WA also increased in the week up to May 18. 'While notifications are above the seasonal threshold it does not yet indicate the start of the influenza season,' WA Health reported. More than a quarter of influenza notifications so far in 2025 were in children aged under 15 years. Influenza notifications and hospitalisations are higher than the previous five-year average, while the number of deaths are lower. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity remains stable in WA, indicating the RSV season has not started. West Australians are being urged to get their flu jabs, with health authorities warning influenza and respiratory syncytial virus cases are set to rise heading into winter. State-funded free flu jabs are available for all West Australians aged five to 64 — including international visitors and those without a Medicare card — until June 30. Free RSV immunisation is also available for infants and pregnant women. As of Thursday this week, there had been 6528 cases of the flu in WA so far this year — while 469,475 people received the jab. 'WA Health encourages all eligible Western Australians to stay up to date with their immunisations and practise good hand and respiratory hygiene,' a spokesperson said.
