SA Health appeal to avoid hospital EDs unless urgent after computer crash

In a press release issued a short while in the past, SA Well being chief govt Dr Robyn Lawrence stated hospital workers had been utilizing paper reporting and phone companies to handle sufferers throughout most public hospitals.

She stated SA Well being was working as rapidly as doable to revive its digital reporting system, however within the meantime, folks with non-urgent healthcare wants ought to keep away from going to hospital emergency departments.

“South Australians ought to all the time current to hospital in an emergency and for any severe issues, however we additionally ask folks to please think about different choices at the moment for non-urgent care,” Lawrence stated.

“Our EDs will all the time give precedence to probably the most pressing circumstances.”

It comes after an “electrical incident” at a state authorities knowledge centre at Glenside earlier at this time precipitated pc system outages throughout a number of authorities departments.

The incident impacted the centre’s cooling system, with energy not anticipated to be restored till later tonight.

“SA Well being ICT programs are persevering with to be impacted by the Glenside Knowledge Centre electrical incident and enterprise continuity plans have been enacted in any respect hospitals,” Lawrence stated.

“We’re working as rapidly as doable to revive all impacted programs however it’ll take time and a few of our processes could also be slower within the meantime so we’re asking sufferers and households to please be affected person.

“We can be working all through the evening to revive all impacted programs as rapidly as doable.”

Individuals who require non-life-threatening healthcare can contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222, the Nationwide Dwelling Physician Service on 13 74 25, or go to their pharmacy or GP.

They’ll additionally search assist from the Little one and Adolescent Digital Care Service between 9am to 9pm.

A SA Well being spokesperson this afternoon stated triple zero operations had not been impacted by the pc system outage.

They stated SA Well being was not conscious of any opposed scientific outcomes.

SA Well being’s digital reporting programs retailer an individual’s medical historical past and could be accessed by medical doctors, nurses and paramedics.

In a press release earlier this afternoon, the federal government’s chief info officer Dr Eva Balan-Vnuk stated “mitigation measures” had been put in place to reply to {the electrical} incident, with energy anticipated to be resorted to the information centre’s cooling system in a single day.

“No vital opposed outcomes have been recognized nonetheless some programs could also be working slower than typical,” she stated.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation SA department secretary Elizabeth Dabars stated the union’s members had been experiencing “heightened workloads and fewer than passable entry to affected person information and affected person dealing with info”.

She stated digital information had been vital to affected person security and welfare.

“Affected person circulation can also be being by affected by restrictions on affected person info together with mattress availability and different factors of care,” she stated.

“These outages will place an elevated burden and on an already harassed system, which can finally impression on affected person entry similar to ramping.

“We’re looking for to work intently with members, hospital administration and the Division to place simpler guide workarounds in place and help members as they wrestle with these points.”