New data shows average ED wait time is well above target set by experts

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The number of Australians waiting in hospital emergency departments for admission to a ward is about three times the target set by experts, new data shows. Doctors say the delays are often caused by the inability to discharge vulnerable patients.

Transcript

00:00Wayne Jones is recovering from brain surgery.

00:05Basically the scars healed nicely.

00:08But Wayne's time in a Perth emergency department was anything but nice.

00:13It was standing room only.

00:15It all took about four hours waiting there.

00:18No seats, I was just propped up on my crutches, standing there with my daughter.

00:25His brain tumour meant he had limited mobility.

00:28I was glad to get on the examination bed and have a bit of a rest for a while.

00:33But many of us are waiting much longer than Wayne.

00:36New data from the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine

00:39reveals 31% of us are waiting more than eight hours in metro hospitals to be admitted.

00:45In regional areas it's 32% of people.

00:48The recommendation from the college is that no more than 10% of those people should wait that long.

00:53College President and Director of Emergency at Alice Springs Hospital, Stephen Gawley,

00:58says patient safety is at risk.

01:00The longer people are waiting for a bed and waiting for the definitive care in the hospital itself,

01:05the higher the rates of morbidity and even mortality goes up.

01:09He says hospitals are jammed because beds are filled by older Australians

01:12who can't get a place in aged care.

01:14They often stay in hospital for quite a prolonged period of time.

01:17When I say a long period of time, that could be months or in some cases up to a year or more.

01:22To address this issue, the government will soon launch a $57 million program

01:27to help dementia patients transition from hospital to an appropriate aged care facility.

01:33The scheme will start in Adelaide and Hobart before being rolled out across the country.

01:38Doctors say endemic staff shortages are the biggest challenge to cutting wait times.

01:43Something needs to change and it probably should have changed 10 years ago.

01:47It will take a lot to restore Wayne Jones' confidence in the hospital system.

01:52For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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