The number of people presenting to Victorian emergency department to seek treatment for stroke is down 24 per cent, and for heart attacks it’s down 18 per cent, prompting Victoria’s Health Minister to urge people not to delay care because “hospitals are safe”.

Hospitals are reporting a “concerning” decline in the number of Victorians seeking treatment for heart attacks and strokes, as well as essential cancer screening, during the state’s coronavirus second wave.
Key points:

• Victoria has seen a 30 per cent drop in reports for the five most common cancers
• Stroke Foundation Victoria says people are not presenting to emergency departments when they experience signs of stroke, because they are fearful of catching coronavirus or worried about over-burderning the health system
• There are 323 active coronavirus cases in healthcare workers in Victoria, down from a peak of more than 1,100

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the number of people presenting to emergency departments with strokes was down 24 per cent on the same time last year.
For heart attacks, the number of ED presentations was down 18 per cent.
“This does suggest that people are putting off seeking urgent and important medical care that could make that critical difference to their life,” Ms Mikakos said.
“I want to stress that our hospitals are safe for people to attend.
“We have had a significant decline, with a great deal of effort from health services, in healthcare worker infections in recent weeks.”
There are 323 active coronavirus cases in healthcare workers in Victoria, down from a peak of more than 1,100 about a month ago.
And while some of the decline in traffic to emergency departments is good news influenza cases are down 80 per cent on the last three years there are fears much of it can be attributed to people delaying urgent medical care due to fears of catching coronavirus.
August is usually a busy month for Victorian emergency departments, but they are seeing a decline in presentations this year.(ABC News: Patrick Rocca)
For the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic read our coronavirus update story.
Stroke Foundation Victoria state manager Eamonn O’Toole said delaying treatment was “not worth the risk”.
“We know fewer people have been presenting to hospital at the first sign of stroke because they are fearful of contracting coronavirus or over-burdening our doctors and nurses,” Mr O’Toole said. 
“If you delay calling triple-0 it could result in a longer hospital stay, serious disability or even death.”
He urged people to remember the FAST test (face, arms, speech, time) when assessing a potential stroke, and to check if the patient’s mouth had drooped, if they could lift both arms and if their speech was slurred.
“Time is critical. If you see any of these signs call triple-0 straight away,” he said.
Delaying cancer screening ‘can lead to tragedy’
There has also been a decline in important cancer screening, with a 30 per cent reduction in reports for the five most common cancers: colorectal, prostate, breast, melanoma and lung.
“This is very concerning because deferred care can lead to worse health outcomes,” Ms Mikakos said.
“It can lead to longer hospitalisation stays, it can lead to tragedy.”
Ms Mikakos said it was important that people continued visiting their GP and taking any regular medications.
“And if they have any lumps or bumps or symptoms that they are concerned about, please do not defer seeking medical care,” she said.
While BreastScreen services were paused during the first lockdown, they’re now back up and running.(Supplied: BreastScreen Victoria)
BreastScreen Victoria chief executive Terri Smith urged anyone due for their regular breast screen to book an appointment as soon as possible.
“It’s vital not to delay your regular check,” she said.
“Breast screening can find cancer that may be too small to see and feel, and more likely to be successfully treated if found early.”
She said clinics were taking every precaution against the risk of COVID-19, including spacing out appointments to allow for physical distancing and more cleaning between appointments.
Victoria’s road to recovery
Ms Mikakos said health services were increasingly using telehealth to conduct appointments where possible.
Four per cent of specialist clinic appointments were conducted using telehealth in 2018-19. That figure is now at 46 per cent.
At the Royal Children’s Hospital, about 70 per cent of clinical consultations are being conducted via telehealth.
Over the past week, there have been 385 new coronavirus cases in total across Victoria. Of those, 89 were in healthcare workers, which accounts for just over 25 per cent. 
Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said about 70 per cent of all healthcare worker infections were in aged care settings.
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