Claims extracted
21
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
10%
2 of 21 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
67/100
ABC News (AU)'s corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Health
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
In short:
A regional health service on the New South Wales-Victoria border is battling huge patient demand amid a September flu surge.
asserted
service → battle → surge
Doctors at Albury Wodonga Health have been advised to send patients home earlier to keep up with demand.
asserted
Doctors → advise → demand
Demand is expected to continue amid a Southern Hemisphere flu spike.
asserted
Demand → expect → spike
A stretched regional health service facing significant patient demand amid a late flu season has advised doctors to consider discharging patients earlier and without physical consultant review.
asserted
service → face → review
An email to doctors sent from Albury Wodonga Health's chief medical officer Simon Craig on Thursday, which was verified by the ABC, warned that the service was facing "overwhelming" demands that were expected to continue for days.
asserted
that → send → days
Doctors have been asked to consider earlier discharge of patients where safe, early plans and rounds, and empowering registrars to discharge without physical consultant review where safe.
asserted
Doctors → ask → review
The doctors were also asked to consider Hospital In The Home and virtual care options.
asserted
doctors → ask → Home
"As we progress, we will be looking as an organisation into how we optimise flow and use of beds," Dr Craig stated in the email.
"
asserted
Craig → progress → email
Our resources are limited and we need to all collaborate in this."
asserted
we → need → this
Demand on the cross-border health service has been at the forefront of community concern for years, while a proposed $558 million redevelopment of Albury's hospital has been criticised over whether it will meet the region's future needs.
asserted
it → propose → needs
Advocacy group Better Border Health (BBH) reported there was a 61-bed deficit at the health service on Thursday.
asserted
group → report → Thursday
"This is not simply about getting through a difficult few days," BBH spokesperson Stan Stavros said.
"
asserted
Stavros → get → days
With daily bed shortages frequently reported at 40 to 70, we are starting each day behind.
asserted
we → report → day
"It should be the other way around; a hospital should have spare capacity to respond to surges in demand, not a persistent deficit."
Late flu season surge
The health service warned residents on September 8 via social media that it was experiencing an increase in demand for inpatient beds due to a surge in respiratory illness, and a spokesperson said that it remained ongoing.
asserted
it → have → illness
"This sustained demand is affecting patient flow across our hospitals and may mean longer waits for some patients requiring admission," the spokesperson said.
"
uncertain
spokesperson → affect → admission
Despite this, patients with critical or life-threatening conditions continue to be seen immediately and receive the urgent care they need.
asserted
they → threaten → care
"Our clinical and support teams are working hard to manage this demand, adapt our processes safely, and maintain capacity across our sites.
asserted
teams → work → sites
"Any operational adjustments we make during periods of high demand are made with patient safety as the first priority, and in line with standard clinical governance and protocols."
The surge in respiratory illness putting strain on Albury Wodonga Health has been reflected across Victoria as the Department of Health and Human Services reported a 400 per cent increase in flu cases since the end of July.
"
asserted
Department → make → July
We do expect to get seasonal spikes of flu each year and what is different this year is it is coming later in the season," Victoria's chief health officer, Caroline McElnay, said.
asserted
officer → expect → season
She said it was unclear what had triggered the virus to spike post-winter, but similar scenarios were playing out across New South Wales and New Zealand.
"
uncertain
scenarios → say → Wales
It's not too late to get vaccinated if people haven't had that chance to get vaccinated," she said.
asserted
she → vaccinate → chance
The Aporia