Committing to continuing to lead culture change in emergency departments, advocating and calling for change to mental health care, and ongoing work as part of the College reaccreditation process has seen members, trainees and ACEM staff hard at work. We have also been very active in helping FACEMs and emergency departments across Australia and New Zealand tackle local issues pertaining to overcrowding, poor resourcing and workplace-culture issues.
I have been pleased to hear the feedback that ACEM’s support and interventions have been welcomed and have made an impact. We remain deeply committed to stepping in and supporting local teams to confront issues from organisational bullying, workplace violence, overcrowding, and holding hospitals accountable when they are not meeting our standards. We were outspoken in the lead up to the elections recently held in Tasmania and South Australia, and are working with the Victorian Faculty in the lead up to the state election, to be held at the end of the year, in ensuring politicians are aware that patient safety and staff wellbeing in Victorian emergency departments remain THE core concern, and that performance indicators will not be prioritised over those fundamental principles.
New approach to mental health care in EDs
Our work to improve models of care for patients with acute mental and behavioural conditions continues. We will be partnering with other organisations to ensure that we make a long term, sustainable change. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, the Black Dog Institute, consumer groups and other advocacy organisations are all keen to collaborate with ACEM to hold a summit later this year, where we plan to have firm outcomes, including defined and reportable parameters for when the system fails to provide timely and appropriate care. We are meeting with Health Ministers and other politicians to continue to build momentum. You can read more about our work and proposed solutions here. An important part of this work will be telling patients’ stories, relaying your stories, to engage as many decision makers to understand the terrible pain for patients forced to stay in emergency departments for days.
Culture change in emergency departments
We have committed to two key action plans that will help enact meaningful culture change in the College and in emergency departments. This work has been discussed with Race Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Tim Soutphommasane. He is a very strong supporter of what ACEM has started and wants to work with us on an ongoing basis to address issues of prejudice and discrimination in the wider health care sector, including participating in future forums on these matters. I am proud that he has recognised the lead role ACEM is taking on these issues, and we look forward to further collaboration in this incredibly important work.
Further to this, our Indigenous Health Committee has been doing some extraordinary work in the areas of health for Indigenous and Torres Strat Islanders and Māori communities. Led by the New Zealand team, ACEM attended a Hui devoted to hearing, listening and learning what we can do to partner with Māori to achieve better care. The day was inspiring, (my Te Reo Māori needs a lot of work – something I am committed to working on!), and the conversations and ideas coming from this work are something we all need to hear and absorb. That will be accessible to you very soon. I’m hoping that we may be able to get some of the presenters from that day to the ASM in Perth, and I’m excited to see the strategy that will be developed out of the Hui.
ACEM is also one of four colleges working with the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association and the National Medical Training Advisory Network to specifically work on strategies for seeing more Indigenous doctors entering specialist training, and the provision of better health care to our Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander communities. It is a long-term commitment ACEM has made and we are proud to be integral in this strategy.
Workforce issues
An important role for ACEM, is working with stakeholders to ensure long term sustainability of careers in emergency medicine.
We are actively engaged with Health Ministers, Chief Medical Officers and ministers and departments to shape the workforce for Australian and New Zealand needs. The hot topics relate to FACEM oversupply, regional and rural workforce and how we manage our FACEMs and trainees in the current structures to ensure a sustainable, rewarding, valued career.
I am confident we will be integral in the ongoing development of regional and rural specialisation, and we will be integral in building a workforce to meet our communities’ needs. FACEMs will be innovative and adaptable in building the skills needed to address many of the glaring gaps we see on a day-to-day basis in our hospitals.
Until next time,
Simon