In Leoben instead of Bruck

How operations are running in the controversial outpatient clinic

Head of Department Gerhard Bratschitsch, Medical Director Erich Schaflinger, Head of Nursing Eva Maria Schmidt-Kloiber, Operations Director Manfred Kočever and Christina Hochreiter, also Head of Nursing(Bild: Juergen Fuchs)

On 13 January, the accident surgery outpatient clinic at Hochsteiermark Regional Hospital moved from Bruck to Leoben - there were demonstrations and a lot of criticism, especially from the SPÖ. In Leoben, the doctors see themselves as victims of the local council election campaign: "The start went smoothly, there were no problems."

Loud protests and political pressure could do nothing to change this: On January 13, the ortho-trauma outpatient clinic moved from Bruck Regional Hospital to Leoben. A good two and a half weeks later, doctors and nursing staff in Leoben took stock on Thursday: "It was a headache, but the start went smoothly," says Gerhard Bratschitsch, head of the department.

What's new in Leoben? The outpatient clinic on the ground floor has been given three new rooms for ortho-trauma. 28 beds are available for trauma surgery patients in the ward on the third floor of the Leoben hospital. "16 will be added in March, and 16 more when the ward is fully expanded," says Head of Nursing Christina Hochreiter. 

Ward manager Gudrun Kogler in one of the new rooms(Bild: Juergen Fuchs)

"We couldn't treat broken necks before"
Erich Schaflinger, Medical Director of LKH Hochsteiermark and "face" of the project, believes his goal has been achieved. "We have a significant increase in activity compared to Bruck." Both in terms of numbers - 1150 patients were treated, 106 of whom were admitted as inpatients - as well as the scope of the service: "We were able to treat a patient with two fractures in the cervical spine - i.e. a broken neck - which would not have been possible before." The same applies to a fracture with a ruptured spleen, which could only be treated because the surgical departments are now at one location.

The combination of the trauma surgery and children's department at one location has also paid off, says Bratschitsch: "After the skidoo accident on the Präbichl, in which seven kindergarten children were injured."

It concerns me personally that we are playing with patients just because there are local council elections. We want to work in peace.

Ärztlicher Direktor Erich Schaflinger in Richtung der SPÖ, die die Verlegung der Ambulanz kritisiert hat

Anesthetist still missing for the night
Around 50 to 60 employees have now moved their workplace from Bruck to Leoben, with others moving between the locations. "The uncertainties were gone after the first week, we have a rotation principle," says Head of Nursing Hochreiter. According to Schaflinger, 22 doctors work in the ortho-trauma department. There are 3.8 vacancies. "We were able to recruit seven new doctors last year," recalls Bratschitsch. 

The LKH Hochsteiermark, Leoben site(Bild: Juergen Fuchs)

According to Schaflinger, there is still one "last gap": an anesthesia on-call service for the night. This would allow very serious injuries that cannot be delayed, such as open fractures, to be operated on at night. "We see such high-acuity cases about once or twice a month." The gap is to be filled with freelance anaesthetists by April.

Hips, knees, bones
Incidentally, the most common injury treated here is hip fractures, says Gerhard Bratschitsch. But broken limbs and broken knees are also treated on the third floor of Leoben Regional Hospital. So far, only one case has had to be turned away. "An emergency doctor called because he had an open fracture in his lower leg. All the operating theaters were full at the time."