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Government moves to reduce emergency wait times

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Author Topic: Government moves to reduce emergency wait times  (Read 234 times)
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Lovelee
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« on: January 29, 2009, 05:15:43 pm »

 The Government has released a list of recommendations on how hospitals can reduce waiting times in emergency departments to a maximum of six hours.

It is seeking feedback from the public and health sector on 14 recommendations made by the Ministry of Health.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says emergency departments are barometers for how well hospitals are operating.

Mr Ryall says lower waiting times also mean better services and procedures in wards and X-ray departments.

He says a recent survey found that in one district health board, up to 20% of patients waited in accident and emergency departments for more than eight hours.

The recommendations include establishing health targets to introduce formal accountability, and plans to move patients out of corridors when emergency department are full to other parts of the hospital.

The ministry also recommends continuing analysis to identify pressure points within the hospital system.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/01/29/1245990329b2
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ssweetpea
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« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2009, 05:21:18 pm »

Now when have we heard that before?

About every 3 years around election time from memory Undecided
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Lovelee
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« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2009, 06:24:50 am »

Hospitals are leaving patients in ambulances to cope with an overcrowded emergency department, according to a new report which recommends banning the practice.

"[The practice] is not endorsed by any group in the health sector," says the report, written by health officials and doctors for Health Minister Tony Ryall.

"... it slows time to treatment for the patient, leaves the patient in the care of unregistered practitioners - paramedics - for longer than appropriate, and has been shown to have negative health outcomes."

Mr Ryall yesterday released the report, which states New Zealand's EDs face problems of overcrowding, long patient stays, treatment of patients in corridors, and long waits for assessment and treatment.

The minister has previously stated support for firm waiting time targets but without stating how many hours. He is now calling for public and health-sector submissions on the report over the next fortnight and expects the Cabinet will make decisions within weeks.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10554229&ref=rss
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Lovelee
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« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2009, 07:31:40 am »

Emergency health care moves seen as not enough

Updated at 9:02am on 30 January 2009

The New Zealand Medical Association says recommendations for improving emergency health care don't go far enough.

A six-hour maximum waiting time in hospital emergency departments is one of 14 suggestions in a new report to the Minister of Health.

The report says emergency departments are often overcrowded and patients have to wait too long for attention.

But the Medical Association says six hours is still too long for many patients.

It says there should be more emphasis on diverting non-emergency cases away from emergency departments.

The association also says the triage system of assessing patients should be reviewed.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/01/30/1245991148ed
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Alicat
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« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2009, 08:05:02 am »

To clarify the '6 hour rule.' The directive that patients should not wait more than 6 hours in an Emergency Department is misleading. The 6 hours starts from the moment you are seen by a Doctor. You might have already waited 4 hours in the Waiting Room, but that is not counted.

The biggest problem with this is that all hospitals have been cutting down their beds over the last 30+ years. The initial idea (perhaps ideal) was that there would be more community-based in home care offered on early discharge from hospitals. There has never been adequate staffing levels in the community to accomodate this so what we have is - you may get your surgery but you will be shipped out of the ward to your home too soon after surgery or illness without adequate care - that is if you are lucky enough not to have your surgery repeatedly postponed due to lack of beds.

New hospitals have been built but rather than fix the bed shortage problem by increasing the bed numbers, there are even less beds in their plans.

I hadn't heard the story of holding patients in ambulances, however that creates yet another major and dangerous situation (apart from the poor patient being kept in an ambulance too long). There is a nationwide shortage of ambulances and Paramedics. Many ambulances end up being single-crewed, placing the ambulance staff in potentially dangerous and life-threatening situations.

We are screwed!
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