Canberra Hospital is to provide better health outcomes for patients and ease pressure on its emergency department (ED) with the expansion of its Acute Medical Unit (AMU) following a successful pilot.
Announcing the expansion, Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith said the Unit would see patients assessed by a multidisciplinary team that could start planning care pathways and discharge sooner, rather than patients remaining in the ED while they waited to be admitted to another inpatient ward.
“Transferring appropriate patients to the AMU from ED has a range of benefits, including freeing up more beds in the ED and providing better health outcomes for patients,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“The pilot AMU program – a 2021-22 Budget commitment – has been running since December 2021 with positive feedback from staff and patients who have been transferred to the unit,” she said.
“By expanding the unit from 12 beds to 24 beds, we hope to see an increase in patients moving out of ED and into the AMU more quickly and even see some patients discharged straight from AMU when they don’t need to be admitted to a specialist ward.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said the AMU had higher staff to patient ratios compared with general inpatient wards and included dedicated medical, nursing, allied health and support staff.
“The AMU model improves access to these enhanced early care services for complex patients, speeding up the journey through ED, admitting patients to the right ward at the right time and reducing the overall length of stay.”
Medical Director of the AMU, Dr Anna Nakauyaca said sub-specialty consultants would also be able to provide early care to patients where needed alongside the work of the AMU’s multidisciplinary team.
“While the AMU multidisciplinary team can assess and start providing care pathways sooner, there may be some patients who are well known to specific medical teams at the hospital and require their input for continuity of care,” Dr Nakauyaca said.
“The AMU will not replace that, but rather work with these consultants to start care early and safely.”
