More than 100 people were left waiting at Canberra Hospital's emergency department for several hours on Monday, forcing an ambulance bypass to be put in place.
The bypass, where stable patients were diverted to Calvary Hospital, was brought on at 8.30pm on Monday and lasted about two hours.
It's the second time in a month Canberra Hospital has been placed on ambulance bypass, and at least the fourth time this year.
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The bypass earlier this month could not be attributed to any particular event, rather a surge in demand.
The bypass was brought on after a "major incident" at the Bimberi Youth Detention Centre involving staff and detainees.
Seven staff were injured in the incident, with four of them taken to Canberra Hospital in a stable condition. Three others were taken to Calvary Hospital with minor injuries.
A code brown, where an emergency management plan is activated for an external disaster, was issued at the Canberra Hospital as a result.
Canberra Hospital's emergency department was already operating near capacity on Monday, following a busy weekend.
It's understood new arrivals to the emergency department on Monday evening were told to see their GP on Tuesday if their condition was not serious.
Cards were also handed out to the new arrivals advising them to seek medical help at walk-in centres.
Canberra Health Services CEO Bernadette McDonald was not available for comment but Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said no ambulances were in fact diverted to Calvary as a result of the bypass.
"But it was an important risk management measure to just ensure the safe treatment of everyone who was potentially going to present to Canberra Hospital," she said.
Ms Stephen-Smith said she was confident Canberra Hospital was well equipped to deal with any major incidents.
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40 additional beds were freed up in other parts of the hospital to make room for the surge in patients on Monday.
Parts of the hospital including medical imaging and surgery recovery were used.
Patients were also taken at Canberra's private hospitals and Calvary Hospital to deal with patient demand.
Calvary Hospital general manager Mark Dykgraaf said Calvary's emergency department received a surge of patients on Monday.
"We had 183 presentations to the emergency department, and a standard day was around 150 to 170 patients, so it was a busy day for us," he said.
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"[Tuesday] will be busy because we know from experience it will take a day or two to settle down."
Andrew Brown
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
ACT politics and health reporter Contact me with tips, story ideas, or just to have a chat, at daniella.white@canberratimes.com.au
ACT politics and health reporter Contact me with tips, story ideas, or just to have a chat, at daniella.white@canberratimes.com.au
