The Rising Demand of Emergency General Surgery: A 15-Year Study at a Metropolitan New Zealand Hospital.
Emergency general surgery caseload rose 32.3% over 15 years, driven by population growth.
The Rising Demand of Emergency General Surgery: A 15-Year Study at a Metropolitan New Zealand Hospital.
Emergency general surgery (emergency general surgery) services are under increasing pressure in New Zealand and internationally.
This study examined trends in emergency general surgery volume, incidence, patient complexity, and system performance over 15 years at North Shore Hospital, Waitematā, New Zealand.
We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients (≥ 16 years) undergoing emergency general surgical procedures at North Shore Hospital between 2010 and 2024.
surgical caseload grew faster than the population it serves
The overall population of Waitemata increased from 524 610 to 670 174 people (a 27.8% increase, 1.65% per year).
The median age of surgical patients increased more rapidly than the underlying population.
The proportion of patients with ASA ≥ 3 rose from 23.4% to 34.5%.
Median time from booking to surgery increased from 7 to 16 h, while length of stay remained stable.
This study demonstrated a significant increase in the emergency general surgical workload at a large metropolitan hospital in New Zealand, with population growth as the primary driver.
It also demonstrates that the patients are ageing and becoming increasingly medically complex. These findings highlight the need for proactive workforce planning and service design.