The College, the not-for-profit organisation responsible for training specialist emergency physicians and the advancement of professional standards in emergency medicine in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, maintains that the personal experiences, observations and data shared at the inquiry are illustrative and representative of the issues experienced by emergency physicians and emergency medicine trainees across NSW.
ACEM specifically asserts that evidence supports ACEM President Dr Clare Skinner’s statement that some patients get “stuck in the emergency department for 12 or even up to 24 or 36 hours after they've presented”.
The situation Dr Skinner was referring to is dangerous hospital access block – the exact topic the inquiry is investigating. The College has been researching and advocating for solutions to access block and emergency department overcrowding for decades and welcomes the inquiry as an acknowledgement by the NSW parliament that access block is a serious issue that impacts on patients, clinicians, carers and others, and can lead to preventable patient harm.
100% of the specialist emergency physicians working in New South Wales have been trained and accredited by the College.
The College stands ready to collaborate with the NSW government, the federal government and other health stakeholders across the system on genuine, collaborative, transformative, whole-of-system reform that will improve patient outcomes and experiences, and clinician experiences, in emergency departments.
Background:
ACEM is the peak body for emergency medicine in Australia and New Zealand, responsible for training emergency physicians and advancement of professional standards. www.acem.org.au
Media Contact:
Melissa Howard [email protected] + 61 427 621 857