Flinders Medical Centre, located in Adelaide's southern suburbs, has been grappling with a surge in patient numbers, leading to the declaration of an internal emergency known as a "code yellow." This state of affairs has resulted in patients being accommodated in corridors due to every ward being either overcapacity or under significant stress, as stated by the South Australian Salaried Medical Officers Association (SASMOA).
Bernadette Mulholland, the chief officer of SASMOA, highlighted the urgency of the situation, asserting that it is critical for hospitals to address the issue of operating under a code yellow as abnormal and not something to be normalized. Despite the challenging circumstances faced by the Flinders Medical Centre staff, they have been commended for their efforts to maintain safe, quality care by Southern Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive Kerrie Freeman, who also mentioned plans to increase bed capacity to manage patient flow.
In response to the overcrowding pressure, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation SA branch chief executive, Elizabeth Dabars, suggested various measures such as nurse-led discharge, daily huddles, and a comprehensive review of patients awaiting NDIS placement or unable to return to aged care facilities. The focus is also on maximizing the employment of graduating nurses and midwives to alleviate the strain on the healthcare system.