Responding to the NSW government budget, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) President Dr Simon Judkins said: “While the College welcomes the spending on health infrastructure and front-line health workers, when looking at the issue of demand on hospital emergency departments a more sophisticated approach is needed.”
ACEM NSW Faculty Chair Dr Chris Trethewy said the College is keen to work with the Berejiklian government to see the funding go to places where it is needed.
“You can make as much money available for health as you like, but unless you tackle the real issue – building capacity into the overall hospital system in order to provide proper care for the extra patients – then the well-intentioned announcements will amount to nothing,” Dr Trethewy said.
“Access block, where admitted patients cannot get a bed in another part of the hospital, and overcrowding in hospital emergency departments can be reduced through a combination of increased resources, realistic targets and improved hospital management."
“This means emergency physicians are engaged and empowered, along with other healthcare workers, to lead quality care improvement initiatives across the health system."
“We urge the Government and NSW Health to take the opportunity to work with the College to realise improvements to patients’ experiences of care in emergency departments.”
Hospital infrastructure
Dr Trethewy said: “Upgrades to infrastructure must be underpinned by a response from all parts of the health system to deal with projected population growth that will only put an increased demand on an already stretched system.”
Mental health care
Dr Trethewy welcomed the boost in spending on mental health, noting the 19 recommendations made by the Review of seclusion, restraint and observation of consumers with a mental illness in NSW Health facilities, which were accepted by the NSW Government in December last year.
“With funding under the Mental Health Infrastructure Program, ACEM looks forward to emergency departments being able to refer patients for care in more therapeutic hospital environments as a result of the investment in mental health unit upgrades and refurbishments,” Dr Trethewy said.
“While many actions will focus on acute mental health facilities and emergency departments, continued investment needs to occur across the system to improve models of care for patients with acute mental and behavioural conditions,” Dr Trethewy said. “Prioritising the health and safety of the some of the most vulnerable people in our communities is essential and requires system planning and sustained policy commitment and support by all sides of politics to address shortcomings in the quality of care provided to mental health patients.”
Contact
Andre Khoury
ACEM Public Affairs Manager
03 8679 8813
0498 068 023
[email protected]