A family’s experience at Bendigo Health’s emergency department has highlighted growing pressure on regional healthcare services after a toddler with a serious head wound waited almost seven hours before receiving stitches.

Rykie Yates said she rushed her 20-month-old daughter Evangeline to Bendigo Health after the child fell and split her head open on a fireplace. The mother described the emergency department at the time as extremely crowded, with patients waiting in corridors and staff appearing overwhelmed by demand.

Ms Yates said her daughter was crying for hours while waiting for treatment, and the situation became increasingly distressing as both mother and child were covered in blood. She said she eventually approached staff directly to seek urgent assistance. However, she praised hospital workers, saying the staff supported her during what was a frightening experience and that she did not blame individual doctors and nurses for the delay.

The incident occurred as Bendigo Health faced significant pressure from increasing patient numbers. Hospital leaders said the emergency department had been experiencing sustained demand, with the hospital admitting around a dozen more patients each day compared with the previous year.

Bendigo Health activated a standby Code Yellow emergency response, which is used when a hospital experiences an internal emergency and normal systems are under significant pressure. The hospital said the response was triggered by high occupancy levels across inpatient wards, limited bed availability and challenges managing demand throughout the health service.

The pressure on the hospital also affected ambulance services. The Victorian Ambulance Union said paramedics had experienced delays transferring patients into the emergency department, resulting in some patients being treated while waiting outside the hospital. Union representatives warned that ambulance crews delayed at hospitals are unavailable to respond to new emergencies in the community.

Bendigo Health Chief Medical Officer Dr Rex Prabhu said the hospital was treating more patients with complex medical needs, including people requiring emergency surgery and those with significant health conditions. He also pointed to challenges caused by older patients remaining in hospital because suitable aged-care placements were unavailable.

The hospital said it had postponed a small number of planned surgeries temporarily to create additional capacity for emergency cases, while ensuring urgent category-one procedures continued. Patients affected by any changes were contacted and supported with rescheduling arrangements.

The Victorian government acknowledged frustration among patients and families experiencing long emergency department waits, particularly during periods of high demand such as winter illness seasons. Officials encouraged people with non-life-threatening conditions to consider alternatives such as urgent care clinics and virtual emergency services where appropriate.

Bendigo Health remains one of Victoria’s major regional hospitals, providing emergency, children’s and specialist healthcare services to communities across Central Victoria. Its emergency department treats tens of thousands of patients each year, with seriously ill and injured patients prioritised through the triage system.

The case has renewed discussion about regional healthcare capacity, emergency department staffing pressures and the need for sustainable solutions to manage increasing demand outside Melbourne.