ACEM is calling for election campaign commitments on informed health investment with a prime focus on equity, research and emergency department (ED) safety so that all Australians can receive the right care where and when they need it.
More than eight million patients attend EDs across Australia annually. As the peak body for emergency medicine, the College is committed to working with governments to make our healthcare system better for all and to ensure that the highest standards of medical care are provided for all patients presenting to EDs.
ACEM welcomes recent measures to improve systems and help hospitals, such as additional funding to the states and territories to ease pressure on public hospitals and a bipartisan agreement for a $7.9 billion boost to Medicare bulk billing.
However, the College is calling for commitments in three key priority areas:
- Better care for regional communities through continued ongoing funding for the Emergency Medicine Education and Training (EMET) program.
- The establishment of a National Emergency Medicine Research Foundation (NEMRF).
- National leadership and reform to ensure our EDs are safe for staff, patients and their families.
“All Australians deserve high-quality, evidence-based, patient-centred emergency care, regardless of where they live,” ACEM President Dr Stephen Gourley said.
“All Australians should be able to visit an ED, an Urgent Care Centre or their GP and receive timely and equitable health care in a safe environment.”
Dr Gourley encouraged all sides of politics to support ACEM’s three evidence-based key electoral priority areas to improve the delivery of safer and more equitable emergency care to the people of Australia.
“Continued ongoing Federal funding of ACEM’s EMET program, which successfully delivers essential upskilling for the rural health workforce, will provide relief for some of the issues facing regional, rural and remote areas highlighted in the College’s recent State of Emergency report,” Dr Gourley said.
“It is vital that our acute health system is fully informed by high-quality, evidence-based health and medical research taking place across the country. Groundbreaking initiatives such as the proposed National Emergency Medicine Research Foundation have the potential to save the taxpayer millions of dollars each year by identifying and reducing low-value care and improving access to emergency care services.
“It’s also time for a serious national conversation and decisive action about violence in EDs. ACEM’s Breaking Point: An Urgent Call to Action on ED Safety report provides evidence-based recommendations to ensure the safety of patients and health professionals. We stand ready to work together on these solutions.”
“As Australians head to the polls, ACEM calls on all parties, candidates and voters to prioritise our health system,” Dr Gourley said. “We need better equity and access with the workforce to deliver it.”
ACEM will support pledges that align with these priorities and invites political parties to work with emergency doctors on implementing these initiatives across the country.
Background:
ACEM is the peak body for emergency medicine in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, responsible for training emergency physicians and advancement of professional standards. www.acem.org.au
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