Creative ideas to address growing emergency demand

With emergency admissions to Melbourne’s major public hospitals at a record high, Health Minister John Thwaites said hospitals were responding to the challenge with creative ways of opening up beds and preventing unnecessary hospital admissions.

Launching details of a four-year $150 million Hospital Demand Management Strategy at St Vincent’s Hospital, Mr Thwaites congratulated doctors, nurses and hospital management for coming up with smarter ways of improving care for patients.

‘With an ageing population and technological advances, hospital emergency departments around the world are experiencing increased demand.

‘St Vincent’s Hospital has experienced an 11 per cent growth in emergency admissions in the last year but has responded to the challenge through better management of patients both in and out of hospital,’ Mr Thwaites said.

‘The Government has provided an additional $7 million to St Vincent’s from July 1 this year to reduce delays in emergency departments and give greater support to patients with complex conditions.’

The $7 million includes:

• $2.1 million to open more beds and treat more patients;

• $1.4 million to improve the emergency department and patient flow;

• $3.1 million for new models of patient care and $385,000 to prevent emergency department visits.

Mr Thwaites said the hospital had indicated early success with the strategy with only 66 per cent of patients at St Vincent’s admitted within 12 hours last August, and 80 per cent of patients admitted within 12 hours this August.

‘This is a major achievement given it was amid industrial disputation.’

Releasing details of the strategies of the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Bayside Health, Eastern Health, Melbourne Health, Northern Health, Peninsula Health, Southern Health, Western Health and Barwon Health, Mr Thwaites said new approaches were helping people with chronic health conditions to avoid the revolving door of emergency departments.

‘Hospitals now have a far greater say in managing demand and developing local solutions.

‘New services—such as Hospital in the Home, short stay units, Medi-Hotels, falls clinics to prevent elderly people from breaks and specialist units for heart complaints, respiratory conditions, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases—are all contributing to better patient care in a time of increasing demand.’