❓ The Minister for Health outlines the government's $39 million strategy to address increased demand on emergency departments during winter, including additional beds, specialist care teams, and improved discharge processes.
AnsweredQoN 251Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
With today being the first official day of winter, can the minister outline the state government’s plans to cope with the extra demand on our emergency departments over the coming months? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Wanneroo for the question. I am pleased to be able to say that this morning I visited the Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital to view a recently opened 10-bed ward that will be specifically used to cater for the increased demand we expect to be coming through our emergency departments during the coming winter months. Those 10 beds were part of the government’s $39 million strategy to relieve pressure on Perth’s emergency departments during this winter. Overall, the funds will enable 221 beds to be open in both public and private hospitals to meet that demand. That is on top of the 130 beds that were kept open permanently from last winter which, in effect, means that we have 351 extra beds in the metropolitan health system for the coming winter season. The provision of those beds has provided remarkably good results for the health system, which always operates under tremendous pressure. Ambulance diversion last winter was down 80 per cent compared with winter 2003. So far, for the first five months this year, diversion rates are down by more than 70 per cent compared with the same five months last year. The winter strategy is about more than just hospital beds. We have also implemented a range of other strategies to ensure that the front doors of our hospitals are able to cope with the demands that are placed on them. Firstly, specialist care teams have been set up in emergency departments to provide alternatives to hospital admission for ambulatory and rehabilitation care patients, and special teams have been set up to deal with patients who have fallen. Secondly, ward-based discharge coordinators will ensure timely discharge so that beds are available for patients who need them. Sunday ward rounds will be introduced in hospitals in which they are not currently conducted to ensure that people are discharged in a timely way. The government’s rehabilitation and nursing in the home program will be expanded so that more patients can be discharged earlier from wards and rehabilitated in the comfort of their own homes. Additional junior medical staff have been employed at general and suburban hospitals to ensure that people receive medical care closer to home. We are in the process of establishing specialist mental health units in emergency departments to cater for people who present with mental health conditions. We are also altering the ambulance distribution program. Last year more than 350 000 Western Australians presented to metropolitan hospital emergency departments. That number is growing at between four and five per cent a year and we must invest the $39 million that we have to meet those needs. Although there will always be times when the health system labours under tremendous pressure, I compliment the staff working in emergency departments for the tremendous job they do.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Wanneroo for the question. I am pleased to be able to say that this morning I visited the Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital to view a recently opened 10-bed ward that will be specifically used to cater for the increased demand we expect to be coming through our emergency departments during the coming winter months. Those 10 beds were part of the government’s $39 million strategy to relieve pressure on Perth’s emergency departments during this winter. Overall, the funds will enable 221 beds to be open in both public and private hospitals to meet that demand. That is on top of the 130 beds that were kept open permanently from last winter which, in effect, means that we have 351 extra beds in the metropolitan health system for the coming winter season. The provision of those beds has provided remarkably good results for the health system, which always operates under tremendous pressure. Ambulance diversion last winter was down 80 per cent compared with winter 2003. So far, for the first five months this year, diversion rates are down by more than 70 per cent compared with the same five months last year. The winter strategy is about more than just hospital beds. We have also implemented a range of other strategies to ensure that the front doors of our hospitals are able to cope with the demands that are placed on them. Firstly, specialist care teams have been set up in emergency departments to provide alternatives to hospital admission for ambulatory and rehabilitation care patients, and special teams have been set up to deal with patients who have fallen. Secondly, ward-based discharge coordinators will ensure timely discharge so that beds are available for patients who need them. Sunday ward rounds will be introduced in hospitals in which they are not currently conducted to ensure that people are discharged in a timely way. The government’s rehabilitation and nursing in the home program will be expanded so that more patients can be discharged earlier from wards and rehabilitated in the comfort of their own homes. Additional junior medical staff have been employed at general and suburban hospitals to ensure that people receive medical care closer to home. We are in the process of establishing specialist mental health units in emergency departments to cater for people who present with mental health conditions. We are also altering the ambulance distribution program. Last year more than 350 000 Western Australians presented to metropolitan hospital emergency departments. That number is growing at between four and five per cent a year and we must invest the $39 million that we have to meet those needs. Although there will always be times when the health system labours under tremendous pressure, I compliment the staff working in emergency departments for the tremendous job they do.
I thank the member for Wanneroo for the question. I am pleased to be able to say that this morning I visited the Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital to view a recently opened 10-bed ward that will be specifically used to cater for the increased demand we expect to be coming through our emergency departments during the coming winter months. Those 10 beds were part of the government’s $39 million strategy to relieve pressure on Perth’s emergency departments during this winter. Overall, the funds will enable 221 beds to be open in both public and private hospitals to meet that demand. That is on top of the 130 beds that were kept open permanently from last winter which, in effect, means that we have 351 extra beds in the metropolitan health system for the coming winter season. The provision of those beds has provided remarkably good results for the health system, which always operates under tremendous pressure. Ambulance diversion last winter was down 80 per cent compared with winter 2003. So far, for the first five months this year, diversion rates are down by more than 70 per cent compared with the same five months last year. The winter strategy is about more than just hospital beds. We have also implemented a range of other strategies to ensure that the front doors of our hospitals are able to cope with the demands that are placed on them. Firstly, specialist care teams have been set up in emergency departments to provide alternatives to hospital admission for ambulatory and rehabilitation care patients, and special teams have been set up to deal with patients who have fallen. Secondly, ward-based discharge coordinators will ensure timely discharge so that beds are available for patients who need them. Sunday ward rounds will be introduced in hospitals in which they are not currently conducted to ensure that people are discharged in a timely way. The government’s rehabilitation and nursing in the home program will be expanded so that more patients can be discharged earlier from wards and rehabilitated in the comfort of their own homes. Additional junior medical staff have been employed at general and suburban hospitals to ensure that people receive medical care closer to home. We are in the process of establishing specialist mental health units in emergency departments to cater for people who present with mental health conditions. We are also altering the ambulance distribution program. Last year more than 350 000 Western Australians presented to metropolitan hospital emergency departments. That number is growing at between four and five per cent a year and we must invest the $39 million that we have to meet those needs. Although there will always be times when the health system labours under tremendous pressure, I compliment the staff working in emergency departments for the tremendous job they do.
The winter strategy is about more than just hospital beds. We have also implemented a range of other strategies to ensure that the front doors of our hospitals are able to cope with the demands that are placed on them. Firstly, specialist care teams have been set up in emergency departments to provide alternatives to hospital admission for ambulatory and rehabilitation care patients, and special teams have been set up to deal with patients who have fallen. Secondly, ward-based discharge coordinators will ensure timely discharge so that beds are available for patients who need them. Sunday ward rounds will be introduced in hospitals in which they are not currently conducted to ensure that people are discharged in a timely way. The government’s rehabilitation and nursing in the home program will be expanded so that more patients can be discharged earlier from wards and rehabilitated in the comfort of their own homes. Additional junior medical staff have been employed at general and suburban hospitals to ensure that people receive medical care closer to home. We are in the process of establishing specialist mental health units in emergency departments to cater for people who present with mental health conditions. We are also altering the ambulance distribution program. Last year more than 350 000 Western Australians presented to metropolitan hospital emergency departments. That number is growing at between four and five per cent a year and we must invest the $39 million that we have to meet those needs. Although there will always be times when the health system labours under tremendous pressure, I compliment the staff working in emergency departments for the tremendous job they do.
Last year more than 350 000 Western Australians presented to metropolitan hospital emergency departments. That number is growing at between four and five per cent a year and we must invest the $39 million that we have to meet those needs. Although there will always be times when the health system labours under tremendous pressure, I compliment the staff working in emergency departments for the tremendous job they do.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Wanneroo for the question. I am pleased to be able to say that this morning I visited the Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital to view a recently opened 10-bed ward that will be specifically used to cater for the increased demand we expect to be coming through our emergency departments during the coming winter months. Those 10 beds were part of the government’s $39 million strategy to relieve pressure on Perth’s emergency departments during this winter. Overall, the funds will enable 221 beds to be open in both public and private hospitals to meet that demand. That is on top of the 130 beds that were kept open permanently from last winter which, in effect, means that we have 351 extra beds in the metropolitan health system for the coming winter season. The provision of those beds has provided remarkably good results for the health system, which always operates under tremendous pressure. Ambulance diversion last winter was down 80 per cent compared with winter 2003. So far, for the first five months this year, diversion rates are down by more than 70 per cent compared with the same five months last year. The winter strategy is about more than just hospital beds. We have also implemented a range of other strategies to ensure that the front doors of our hospitals are able to cope with the demands that are placed on them. Firstly, specialist care teams have been set up in emergency departments to provide alternatives to hospital admission for ambulatory and rehabilitation care patients, and special teams have been set up to deal with patients who have fallen. Secondly, ward-based discharge coordinators will ensure timely discharge so that beds are available for patients who need them. Sunday ward rounds will be introduced in hospitals in which they are not currently conducted to ensure that people are discharged in a timely way. The government’s rehabilitation and nursing in the home program will be expanded so that more patients can be discharged earlier from wards and rehabilitated in the comfort of their own homes. Additional junior medical staff have been employed at general and suburban hospitals to ensure that people receive medical care closer to home. We are in the process of establishing specialist mental health units in emergency departments to cater for people who present with mental health conditions. We are also altering the ambulance distribution program. Last year more than 350 000 Western Australians presented to metropolitan hospital emergency departments. That number is growing at between four and five per cent a year and we must invest the $39 million that we have to meet those needs. Although there will always be times when the health system labours under tremendous pressure, I compliment the staff working in emergency departments for the tremendous job they do.
I thank the member for Wanneroo for the question. I am pleased to be able to say that this morning I visited the Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital to view a recently opened 10-bed ward that will be specifically used to cater for the increased demand we expect to be coming through our emergency departments during the coming winter months. Those 10 beds were part of the government’s $39 million strategy to relieve pressure on Perth’s emergency departments during this winter. Overall, the funds will enable 221 beds to be open in both public and private hospitals to meet that demand. That is on top of the 130 beds that were kept open permanently from last winter which, in effect, means that we have 351 extra beds in the metropolitan health system for the coming winter season. The provision of those beds has provided remarkably good results for the health system, which always operates under tremendous pressure. Ambulance diversion last winter was down 80 per cent compared with winter 2003. So far, for the first five months this year, diversion rates are down by more than 70 per cent compared with the same five months last year. The winter strategy is about more than just hospital beds. We have also implemented a range of other strategies to ensure that the front doors of our hospitals are able to cope with the demands that are placed on them. Firstly, specialist care teams have been set up in emergency departments to provide alternatives to hospital admission for ambulatory and rehabilitation care patients, and special teams have been set up to deal with patients who have fallen. Secondly, ward-based discharge coordinators will ensure timely discharge so that beds are available for patients who need them. Sunday ward rounds will be introduced in hospitals in which they are not currently conducted to ensure that people are discharged in a timely way. The government’s rehabilitation and nursing in the home program will be expanded so that more patients can be discharged earlier from wards and rehabilitated in the comfort of their own homes. Additional junior medical staff have been employed at general and suburban hospitals to ensure that people receive medical care closer to home. We are in the process of establishing specialist mental health units in emergency departments to cater for people who present with mental health conditions. We are also altering the ambulance distribution program. Last year more than 350 000 Western Australians presented to metropolitan hospital emergency departments. That number is growing at between four and five per cent a year and we must invest the $39 million that we have to meet those needs. Although there will always be times when the health system labours under tremendous pressure, I compliment the staff working in emergency departments for the tremendous job they do.
The winter strategy is about more than just hospital beds. We have also implemented a range of other strategies to ensure that the front doors of our hospitals are able to cope with the demands that are placed on them. Firstly, specialist care teams have been set up in emergency departments to provide alternatives to hospital admission for ambulatory and rehabilitation care patients, and special teams have been set up to deal with patients who have fallen. Secondly, ward-based discharge coordinators will ensure timely discharge so that beds are available for patients who need them. Sunday ward rounds will be introduced in hospitals in which they are not currently conducted to ensure that people are discharged in a timely way. The government’s rehabilitation and nursing in the home program will be expanded so that more patients can be discharged earlier from wards and rehabilitated in the comfort of their own homes. Additional junior medical staff have been employed at general and suburban hospitals to ensure that people receive medical care closer to home. We are in the process of establishing specialist mental health units in emergency departments to cater for people who present with mental health conditions. We are also altering the ambulance distribution program. Last year more than 350 000 Western Australians presented to metropolitan hospital emergency departments. That number is growing at between four and five per cent a year and we must invest the $39 million that we have to meet those needs. Although there will always be times when the health system labours under tremendous pressure, I compliment the staff working in emergency departments for the tremendous job they do.
Last year more than 350 000 Western Australians presented to metropolitan hospital emergency departments. That number is growing at between four and five per cent a year and we must invest the $39 million that we have to meet those needs. Although there will always be times when the health system labours under tremendous pressure, I compliment the staff working in emergency departments for the tremendous job they do.
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