EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ACCESS SOLUTIONS MEETING
With the increasing pressure being experienced by Emergency Departments at Tasmania’s public hospitals, AMA Tasmania welcomes the opportunity to participate in the emergency department Access Solutions Summit scheduled for tomorrow.
AMA spokesperson Dr Frank Nicklason said today: “We see this as a chance to listen, learn, and to contribute solutions.
“It is well documented that patients across Tasmania are subjected to ongoing hospital access block, preventing them from receiving timely hospital care in the right location within the prescribed time frames.
“Lengthy delays both in overcrowded Emergency Departments and on elective waiting lists have serious consequences, including avoidable patient harm, and anguish for clinical staff unable to deliver timely care in the location they know would be best for their patients.
Dr Nicklason added, “the AMA is anticipating the Summit will provide practical, evidence-based solutions.
“Moving forward, hospital staff need to be given access to high-quality data and data analytics to allow clinicians to drive both high-quality care and service efficiency.
“AMA Tasmania hopes the summit will be a forum for frank discussion around the need for increases in the number of public hospital beds to help our EDs to cope with the community’s requirement for hospital access.
Dr Nicklason stated, “The AMA is also actively advocating for governance and culture reforms across the entire health system, including in the Department of Health and Tasmanian Health Service’s central health bureaucracy.
“Restructuring THS is needed to ensure that our regional Hospital networks are properly staffed and empowered to deliver services.”
ENDS
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MEDIA CONTACT
Dr Frank Nicklason – AMA Tasmania – 0439 651 272
Lara Giddings – CEO AMA Tasmania – 0400 417 160