The Department of Health is considering an overhaul of emergency care with the establishment of a State Health Operations Centre to improve monitoring and coordination of treatments.
According to the Department, the eventual aim is to reduce bottlenecks in bed supply and ambulance ramping as well as a cut in the number of long-stay patients awaiting aged care or support from the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
It said the planned reforms closely aligned with solutions proposed at the national Health and Hospitals Summit in November.
Minister for Health, Amber-Jade Sanderson said that while there was no single solution that would improve access to emergency care, a study of the whole patient journey was the best way of making the reforms that matter.
“We are investing in major changes to avoid an ‘all roads lead to the emergency department’ system, while at the same time expanding our hospital bed capacity,” Ms Sanderson said.
“Reforms in our ambulance ramping strategy will enable us to better deliver the right care, in the right place, and at the right time for each patient.”
She said the Government had allocated extra funding to the health system aimed at expanding hospital capacity, improving patient flow and addressing ambulance ramping “and these additional measures should help ensure our record investment is delivering for patients”.
