Improving access to emergency care through redesign and streaming
Hunter New England Area Health Service
This project was entered in the 2007 NSW Health Awards, New Risks and Opportunities category.
Contact: Tonia Easton
Abstract
In 2006 John Hunter Hospital Emergency Department (JHH ED) saw an increase in presentations of 16% when compared with 2003. By August, there was Emergency Department overcrowding, increasing senior staff unrest and lack of support for junior staff. A clinical redesign process to improve patient and staff journey in the ED was implemented, focusing on the “Front of House”, fast-track area and streaming patients to staff teams according to the complexity and acuity of their presenting problem. Increasing the numbers of patients being treated in the Fast Track area reduced the number of patients occupying a bed in the acute treatment area. The flow on effect is increased capacity across the ED and reduced overcrowding. The successful implementation resulted in significant improvement in patient’s LOS, triage waiting times, did not wait times and emergency access performance.
The full entry document can be downloaded in the formats listed below:
Improving access to emergency care through redesign and streaming (161KB)
Improving access to emergency care through redesign and streaming (84KB)
