Eastern Bay Edition
January 2016
Twelve days of Christmas sees
over 1,000 patients attend
Whakatāne Hospital ED
If you think your Christmas was busy,
spare a thought for the staff at Whakatāne
Hospital Emergency Department who have
seen over 1,000 patients in 12 days.
by an alternative source including GPs,
pharmacies and dentists, then the advice is
to utilise them.”
Whakatāne ED’s 12 days of Christmas
(Christmas Day to 5 January) saw a daily
average of 88 patients and a total of 1,052.
The busiest days were 27 December and
2 January, both of which saw 114 patients
attend. Numbers topped 100 on five of
the 12 days. The figures are bolstered by
tourists at this time of year but Whakatāne
Hospital Medical Lead Dr Matt Valentine
said a high number of people were still
coming to the wrong place for treatment.
“If it’s not an obvious emergency people
should always ring their GP or Healthline
first. The message is that the Emergency
Department is for ‘emergencies’,” he
said. “If a medical problem can wait until
a regular working day, or be attended
He said those attending for minor ailments
could expect to wait a long time. “If people
feel they need to attend the ED they will be
confronted with significant waits to be seen
with those who are sickest being seen first.
However, whilst the ED’s triage process
ensures the sickest are seen first, those left
in the queue are still monitored.”
Dr Valentine said two accidents over
the holiday period had highlighted other
issues. “There was a very bad road accident
near Opotiki which showed the importance
of remaining vigilant whilst driving and
always having safety in mind. Then we
had an incident involving a quad bike as
well which highlighted the importance
of wearing proper safety gear and not
transporting children on those machines.”
Whakatāne Hospital staff have done a
superb job under high pressure said Dr
Valentine.
“The community can be very proud of
the way the ED and wider hospital staff
has pulled together to deliver such a
consistently high standard of care during
such a busy period.”
EastErn Bay of plEnty
MEdical clinics
Church Street Surgery
Opotiki
07 315 6307
Kawerau Medical Centre
Kawerau
07 323 6249
Kopeopeo Health Centre
Whakatane
07 308 5771
Ohope Beach Medical Centre
Ohope
07 312 5340
Phoenix Health Centre
Whakatane
07 307 0586
Total Health Doctors
Whakatane
07 308 8267
Riverslea Medical Centre
Edgecumbe
07 304 9106
Tarawera Medical Centre
Kawerau
07 323 8499
Toi Ora Health Centre
Opotiki
07 315 7900
Med Central, Kopeopeo
07 308 5409
Whakatohea Health Centre
Opotiki
07 315 6126
First Bay of Plenty Kai Hui Taking the barb out of the
barbeque this summer
United by food, more than 80 locals
recently came together in Tauranga to
participate in the inaugural Bay of Plenty
Kai Hui and celebrate World Food Day.
The landmark event brought together
passionate individuals from all walks of
life to discuss innovative solutions and
issues of importance in regards to all
things ‘food’.
The hui built enthusiasm for a collective
approach to addressing current food
challenges such as food security, access
to locally produced food and access to
healthier foods.
The
hui
included
presentations,
community panel discussions, networking
and brainstorming sessions, with many
potential solutions to local food concerns
being shared. Most importantly, attendees
reported feeling empowered to help
address food issues that mattered to them.
As a result, attendees gave their support for
an ongoing Bay of Plenty food movement.
This will start with a local ‘Food Policy
Council’ being piloted in the Western Bay
of Plenty region, the first of its kind in New
Zealand.
A Food Policy Council is an organised
group of people which includes
stakeholders from across the food system
such as local businesses, local government
and health. The aim is to develop a
healthier local food system.
“The Food Policy Council is about
bringing together influencers of the local
food system to help understand how it all
works and test new approaches together
- multiple sectors working together for
positive outcomes for our community,”
says Dana Thomson, Senior Health
Improvement Advisor for Toi Te Ora –
Public Health Service.
At a local level, an active Food Policy
Council can also help contribute to
solutions to New Zealand’s increasing rate
of obesity. For example, one focus could
be on reducing sugary drink consumption
as these are associated with the increased
risk of diabetes, obesity and tooth decay.
What better way to enjoy summer than
to eat outdoors? Before you fire up the
barbeque and whip up a salad – take a
minute to ensure you, your friends and
family will be safe from the misery of food
poisoning.
Every year lots of New Zealanders get
foodborne illnesses and many are caused
by unsafe food handling practices in the
home.
“Whether you go on a picnic, barbeque
or camping trip – you’ll be taking your
food out of the fridge or freezer. As soon
as the temperature of the food begins to
rise, bacteria in the food can multiply and
this could be a risk,” says Medical Officer
of Health, Dr Phil Shoemack. “Unless
perishable food is handled properly, it can
cause problems so keep hot food HOT and
cold food COLD – or don’t keep it at all.”
Local food stakeholders at the Bay of Plenty Kai Hui brainstorm ideas on growing more food locally and on
public land
Cleaned the barbeque since last summer?
A dirty barbeque is a haven for pests which
love to spread bacteria so make sure it has
been cleaned before you use it. Your hands
and any utensils also need to be cleaned
thoroughly (wash for 20 seconds, dry for
20 seconds) before and after preparing
food.
“Cross contamination from raw to