John Hunter ED under pressure as sick children wait for beds, ventilators as flu, COVID and RSV circulate: Gabby Robertson praises nursing staff

But for the best part of 24 hours, there were no beds, no cots, and no ventilators available to help him breathe.

"We would have waited close to 20 hours, because there weren't any beds on the ward," Ms Robertson said. "At that stage they were deciding whether he was going to ICU or onto the ward - but there weren't any beds in ICU either."

They were offered a transfer to a Sydney hospital for intensive care, before a bed became available at John Hunter. Andrew was diagnosed with RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus.

Ms Robertson said they witnessed the pressure on the hospital staff and its resources first hand as multiple viruses - including COVID-19, RSV and influenza - rip through the Hunter.

"The staff were so under the pump, the poor things," she said. "They were doing their absolute best.

"You'd be down to one nurse on the ward because they'd be off helping someone get a test or a procedure, so you'd press the call button and wait an hour, maybe an hour-and-a-half until someone could get to you.

"And when they would, they would be so apologetic and so helpful and just so lovely... But they are just so understaffed."

Andrew required "high flow oxygen", and after another two nights, he was discharged because he seemed to be doing better.

But they had to go back when Andrew had a "bad turn". They returned to an ED that was "absolutely chockas" and faced the same set of challenges.

"Again, there were no ICU beds available, no beds available on the ward, and no ventilators," she said.

They spent another day in the paediatric ED waiting for a bed, or even a cot. Waiting paramedics, whose patients were well enough to sit, offered their beds so Andrew could lie down, she said.

"There was no room on the respiratory ward," she said. "They were telling us they could only take 22 kids under their care, and they already had 45. So the respiratory team couldn't accept us, the paediatric team couldn't accept us, and the ICU team was saying he was borderline because of the assistance he needed - but they didn't have any beds for us there either."

Ms Robertson, who is an allied health professional herself, said it was "pretty scary".

Her husband, Dave Robertson, slept on the floor.

Andrew was in hospital for another six nights.

"You know he needs help, you know he can't breathe well - his little body was working so hard - and you're in the hospital - the best place possible to get him some help... But you can see how busy they are, and you feel guilty pressing the button. But if you don't... You don't know how this is going to end. You have to keep asking."

Altogether, Andrew was diagnosed with six different viruses, with doctors suggesting he may have picked up some additional bugs during his first hospital stay.

Ms Robertson said she was in awe of the nurses for showing up with a smile on their face every day - despite the system collapsing around them.

"The system is not coping, it's easy to see," she said.

She was trying to arrange some gifts and vouchers for the nursing staff that helped them through an incredibly stressful time.

"The staff were amazing," she said. "You'd see them and say, 'Wait - you haven't been home yet?'

"They had been on shift earlier that morning, and were back for the night shift.

"They had literally sat in the tea room for the afternoon shift as their time off - then they were back again for the night.

"We wanted to do something to thank them because they were spending time away from their own families in order to care for patients, and they are doing it so tough."

The Newcastle Herald recently spoke to a doctor at John Hunter Hospital who estimated paediatric presentations had risen by about a third.

Flutracking founder, Dr Craig Dalton, has previously said children under the age of seven are more likely to be affected by the flu and viruses this season after two winters with little exposure.

As a result of the spike in flu cases, Health Minister Brad Hazzard has extended the free flu shots for NSW residents until July 17 to help prevent unnecessary hospitalisations. He said in the past month, four times as many kids had been admitted to Sydney's two children's hospitals with flu than COVID.

There were 2,222 cases of influenza recorded in Hunter New England in the week ending June 25, with about 9,900 cases recorded to date this year.

This year, Australia has recorded 147,155 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza - "far exceeding" the five-year average for this time of year, a 2022 influenza report card says.

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