Accident patients costly

Press, 14 November 1984, Page 24

Accident patients costly

PA Wellington Road accident patients cost hospitals about $25 million a year, the Parliaments Road Safety Select Committee has been told. But if average speeds on the roads were reduced the number of accidents and injuries would be reduced, said the Hospital Boards’ Association in a submission on a proposal to raise the speed limit. The road toll hovered about 600 deaths and 30,000

injured a year, of which 15,000 were admitted to hospital, the association said. The 15,000 road accident patients were 3.5 per cent of all admissions to public hospitals. . Their hospital care cost about $25 million a year. “Our first concern is the colossal human tragedy — the suffering for many victims, relatives, and friends goes on for all their lives,” it said. But the admissions were also a big factor in the

lengths of surgical waiting lists. “It causes diversion of scarce resources which could be valuable in providing enhanced health care in other areas.” The association set as a target a reduction of the ; road toll to 200 deaths and 10,000 injured. It said that the money saved by reducing the acci- ‘ dent rate could be used for an educational programme and advertising to improve . driving standards. ’