Welcome Boost For Hospital Emergency Departments, Australia

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 12 Apr 2010 - 4:00 PDT

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The AMA welcomes reports today that the Government will invest $500 million to help hospital emergency departments reach a new four hour target for patients to receive treatment or be admitted to hospital.

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said this funding would greatly assist emergency departments provide better access for patients.

"Emergency departments will be able to provide greater capacity and more resources to safely reduce waiting times for patients.

"The funding will assist emergency departments to deal more efficiently with patients who are treated and discharged and those who are referred for follow-up treatment.

"There will need to be additional reforms to ensure that patients who must be admitted to hospital have a bed to go to in a safe and appropriate timeframe.

"A significant amount of emergency department problems are directly related to hospital bed availability and occupancy.

"Extra beds are needed ensure a maximum 85 per cent bed occupancy in public hospitals.

"We will be looking to the Government for announcements on hospital beds, sub-acute care and aged care reform to maximise the potential for success of this emergency department investment.

"The AMA is pleased that the Government will work with clinicians to develop nationally consistent and clinically safe systems and processes to meet the four hour target, and that the target will not overrule the best clinical judgement of doctors," Dr Pesce said.

The AMA's Priority Investment Plan for Australia's Health System calls for a stocktake of the actual number of beds needed in each hospital to ensure no more than 85 per cent average occupancy, and a stocktake of the number of sub-acute beds needed to take pressure off acute hospitals in each area.

The Plan also suggests implementing Bedwatch, an ongoing monitoring system that would transparently report on the number of new and existing beds that are available in public hospitals.

Source
Australian Medical Association

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