Anyone presenting to ED will be assessed by a nurse on arrival and then prioritised for treatment based on their assessed level of clinical need. If you are assessed as not having an urgent need, you can expect to wait longer to see a clinician.
Te Pae Tiaki Wellington ED is also experiencing higher volumes of patients and, as at the Hutt ED, people assessed as not having an urgent need can expect to experience longer wait times.
Staff at both EDs are working extremely hard, and we ask people to be kind and respectful to our staff and one another during this time.
Medical advice – including about whether you need urgent care – is available from Healthline (0800 611 116) or your GP, and the Practice Plus website (https://practiceplus.nz/) is also available to help you connect with medical care quickly.
While there continues to be no influenza or RSV outbreak in our region to date this year, we expect winter ailments to add to high demand and we urge people to be vigilant about seasonal illnesses. We encourage people and whanau to remain up to date with all vaccinations – for illnesses such as measles, flu, and whooping cough – and maintain good hand hygiene, mask-use, social distancing, and staying home if unwell.
Please remember that anyone in need of urgent or emergency care will receive it. In an emergency, call 111.
Media contact: news@ccdhb.org.nz or news@huttvalleydhb.org.nz
