Doctors demand cure for sick hospitals

DOCTORS have told the State Government more must be done to free up hospital beds in order to solve overcrowding in emergency departments

Health Minister John Hill and health department chief executive David Swan met with doctors from the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine this afternoon to discuss emergency department overcrowding ambulance diversion and ramping

These were all symptoms of a dysfunctional system College doctors said in a statement

The doctors were also profoundly disappointed that Flinders Medical Centre head of emergency Dr Di King felt she had to resign over ambulance ramping issues

Improving the flow of patients from an emergency department through the hospital and back to the community requires appropriate action by senior health managers to create an environment where this can occur the statement says


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We are disappointed that this level of support does not currently appear to be in place and that the director of an emergency department appears to be being held accountable for the failure of a hospital to allow emergency department staff to do their job

The reason for her resignation relates to the wholeofhospital problem of overcrowding

Mr Hill agreed emergency department overcrowding and ambulance ramping were part of a wider problem with patient flow through hospitals and said the Government was introducing reforms aimed at improving that flow

Mr Hill will meet with the doctors again in two weeks time

Date : 29 May, 2012
Reference : http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/doctors-demand-cure-for-sick-hospitals/story-e6fr

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