Canberra's hospital emergency departments are battling to cope with record numbers of patients seeking treatment and the situation will probably worsen as the traditional winter peak period approaches.
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Health authorities have urged ACT residents with non-urgent medical conditions to seek treatment from primary health services instead of heading to the emergency departments at the Canberra Hospital or Calvary Public Hospital.
The emergency departments set a record by seeing more than 10,000 patients in March and a similar number in April.
Canberra Hospital senior emergency physician Greg Hollis said the casualty units were still extremely busy and colder weather had contributed to an increase in respiratory and infectious illnesses.
''The EDs [emergency departments] will continue to be very busy during the winter months but emergency patients will continue to be seen as rapidly as possible,'' Dr Hollis said.
There have been 32 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza in the ACT this year, according to the national notifiable diseases surveillance system. A combination of respiratory conditions, infectious illnesses and snowfield and other winter sport injuries traditionally leads to late August being the busiest time for ACT casualty departments.
Dr Hollis said staff would ensure all patients were seen but there would be delays for those with less-urgent conditions.
''In peak periods, those with less urgent conditions may well wait longer. We will see everyone but understandably we do see emergency patients first,'' he said.
''The coming months are the peak period and we do see that year-on-year rise in presentations as well.''
Dr Hollis said patients with less-urgent conditions could see a general practitioner for continuing health issues, the nurse-led walk-in clinic at the Canberra Hospital for minor injuries or illnesses or seeking advice from the Healthdirect telephone hotline or a community pharmacist.
The ACT Health Directorate contained information for the public on general practice services, including extended hours services such as the Canberra Afterhours Locum Medical Services (CALMS).
The ACT Health Directorate website has information on general practice services available in the ACT.
The walk-in clinic had a median waiting time of 20 minutes in April.
Forensic auditors and the auditor-general are investigating the integrity of hospital data after it was revealed Canberra Hospital emergency department performance statistics had been tampered with.
