A reorganisation of the Shoalhaven District Hospital Emergency Department this week is aimed to enable better access and flow through the hospital for both potential COVID and non-COVID patients.
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Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) Acting Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services Shoalhaven Hospital Karon Stalgis, said there has been no change to how suspected or confirmed COVID patients are managed in hospital, which is that they would be isolated in a dedicated hospital ward.
"There are currently no COVID-19 patients admitted to any of the ISLHD hospitals," Ms Stalgis said.
"It is important for the Local Health District to balance safe access to services, while maintaining capacity to respond should a surge in pandemic activity occur."
She said all patients presenting to the Shoalhaven Hospital ED with respiratory symptoms undergo a clinical risk assessment.
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"Patients that meet the clinical criteria are swabbed for COVID-19 and are separated from other patients in the ED," she said.
"The change this week has been to reorganise areas in the ED, to enable better access and flow through the hospital for both potential COVID and non-COVID patients."
Shoalhaven Hospital has well established plans to care for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, including staff surge planning and reconfiguring wards to establish a dedicated COVID-19 patient ward and expanding Intensive Care Unit capacity to care for patients who may require ventilation.
Shoalhaven Hospital has well established plans to care for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, including staff surge planning and reconfiguring wards to establish a dedicated COVID-19 patient ward and expanding Intensive Care Unit capacity to care for patients who may require ventilation.
"These plans are reviewed regularly and updated to reflect the latest situation with the spread of COVID-19," Ms Stalgis said.
"This planning ensures Shoalhaven Hospital has the flexibility to rapidly modify its Emergency Department configuration in response to local patient demand, both non-COVID and potential COVID patients."
The ISLHD recorded one new COVID-19 case for the 24 hour period to 8pm, Monday, July 26.
The new case is a resident of the Wollongong Local Government Area and is close contact to the case announced Monday.
That case is a resident of the Wollongong Local Government Area and was a close contact of one of the Wollongong LGA cases announced last week.
This case is isolating at home.
There are no local COVID-19 cases currently hospitalised.