"The Federal government has overestimated the burden of ‘GP-type’ patients on emergency departments which has led to “misguided” strategies including GP super clinics that are “doomed to fail”, according to doctors.
"Five senior emergency specialists have accused the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare of using a “flawed” method to calculate the number of patients in EDs who potentially require only GP services.
"The AIHW reported that 41% of patients at EDs were potentially GP cases last year.
"But in an editorial published in the Emergency Medicine Australasia, (see link), the specialists say the true figure is about 15%.
"And the inaccurate estimate has led to “unhelpful strategies” to reduce ED overcrowding, the authors say, including the $650 million GP Super Clinics, after-hours general practices being located close to EDs, and after-hours telephone consultations that are planned for Medicare Locals.
“Patients attend EDs for multiple reasons and the literature clearly shows that after-hours general practice clinics, super clinics and polyclinics fill a gap in medical services, but do not take any pressure off EDs,” they say.
"According to the editorial, the definition used by the AIHW was “made up” by NSW Department of Health Consultants, without significant clinical input.
"And it is based on GP cases being category 4 and 5 patients attending EDs, who are not admitted or conveyed to the ED by ambulance or police.
"But the triage category reflects urgency, not complexity, the authors say, and the real problem lies in the inability to move admitted patients to the ward in a timely manner, and which causes overcrowding and long waiting times."
1.
So what has Minister Roxon have to say? Ignoring the issues as usual I see. Glad to see my tax payer dollars not at work!
John Jackson | 12 April 2011 at 19:24
2.Our local ED medical director has been saying this for years - that 'GP style' patients are not a significant burden on the ED. This is despite the fact that the north of Tasmania has had a critical GP shortage for years - I must conclude that those of us who are there are doing a good job in limiting patients going to the ED. It must also be remembered that 'GP style' patients when presenting to the ED are easy work for the hospital. The problem is often relatively simple and, most importantly, they can be sent home not requiring an inpatient bed to see their GP for follow-up. So not only are they limited in number (15% not 41%), the ED resources that such patients consume are low. The critical issue for our ED as with others is 'Bed Block'. Successive governments have failed to provide sufficient inpatient beds to allow sick patients to be efficiently transferred out of the Department. It was thus clear to working doctors from the get-go that 'super' and 'nurse-lead' clinics as a solution to ED overcrowding were doomed to fail all at massive taxpayer expense.
Dr. Andrew Jackson, Launceston | 12 April 2011 at 15:15
