New Study Finds Shorter Waiting Times May Save Lives
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has welcomed a new study which shows the Australian Government’s policy of cutting the time patients wait in hospital emergency departments can “save lives.”
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6 February 2012
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has welcomed a new study which shows the Gillard Government’s policy of cutting the time patients wait in hospital emergency departments can “save lives.”
The policy, which came into affect on January 1, says 90% of patients will spend no more than four hours in emergency departments under nationally agreed targets which are being phased in over four years.
The latest Medical Journal of Australia carries a study that found a 13% reduction in mortality in three large Perth hospitals which use the four-hour target. Western Australia began phasing in its own four-hour target in 2009.
“While further research will need to be undertaken to more fully assess clinical outcomes of the four-hour target, it is very encouraging that the experience of reducing waiting times in Perth hospitals has been so positive.”
The study says the four-hour target saved 80 lives – or one life every four to five days – in the three hospitals in 2010-11.
Ms Plibersek said the Gillard Government will reward the states and territories with up to $200 million for achieving the four hour target, which was agreed to as part of the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services last year.
In return for the reward money, first ministers agreed that their hospital emergency departments will meet the National Emergency Access Target, under which 90% of patients have to be admitted, referred for treatment, or discharged within four hours by the end of 2015.
In addition to the reward funding, the Gillard Government is also investing $550 million in emergency department capital projects and services to assist hospitals meet the target and improve services.
Ms Plibersek said the target will mean Australians are given greater access to our hospital system when and where they need it.
“When patients present at emergency departments requiring urgent medical care, we must have a system in place that strives to ensure they are given access to hospital as quickly as possible.”
“We know that emergency departments don’t operate in isolation, which is why the target is designed to drive ‘whole-of-system’ reform, removing obstacles that might otherwise prevent patients from progressing through the system.”
Under the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services an additional $3.4 billion is going to hospital and subacute services by the end of the 2016-17 financial year.
The target has been backed by an expert panel of clinicians and administrators, chaired by Professor Christopher Baggoley, now the Chief Medical Officer, which consulted widely to ensure the target will genuinely encourage improved performance while maintaining quality care.
The target for each jurisdiction has been set so that each improves on its past performance and continues to improve every year to meet the nationally consistent target by the end of 2015.
For more information, please contact the Minister’s Office on 02 6277 7220
National Emergency Access Target
Baselines and targets | NSW | VIC | QLD | WA | SA | TAS | ACT | NT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baseline | 61.8% | 65.9% | 63.8% | 71.3% | 59.4% | 66.0% | 55.8% | 66.2% |
2012 | 69.0% | 70.0% | 70.0% | 76.0% | 67.0% | 72.0% | 64.0% | 69.0% |
2013 | 76.0% | 75.0% | 77.0% | 81.0% | 75.0% | 78.0% | 73.0% | 78.0% |
2014 | 83.0% | 81.0% | 83.0% | 85.0% | 82.0% | 84.0% | 81.0% | 84.0% |
2015 | 90.0% | 90.0% | 90.0% | 90.0% | 90.0% | 90.0% | 90.0% | 90.0% |
Reward Funding for Emergency Departments
| Year | NSW | VIC | QLD | WA | SA | TAS | ACT | NT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-2013 | $15.9m | $12.4m | $10.4m | $5.3m | $3.5m | $1.1m | $0.8m | $0.6m | $50.0m |
| 2013-2014 | $15.9m | $12.4m | $10.4m | $5.3m | $3.5m | $1.1m | $0.8m | $0.6m | $50.0m |
| 2014-2015 | $15.9m | $12.4m | $10.4m | $5.3m | $3.5m | $1.1m | $0.8m | $0.6m | $50.0m |
| 2015-2016 | $15.9m | $12.4m | $10.4m | $5.3m | $3.5m | $1.1m | $0.8m | $0.6m | $50.0m |
| Total | $63.6m | $49.6m | $41.6m | $21.3m | $14.1m | $4.4m | $3.2m | $2.2m | $200.0m |
Facilitation Funding for Emergency Departments
| Year | NSW | VIC | QLD | WA | SA | TAS | ACT | NT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | $56.7m | $43.5m | $35.4m | $18.0m | $12.9m | $4.0m | $2.8m | $1.7m | $175.0m |
| 2011-12 | $24.3m | $18.7m | $15.1m | $7.7m | $5.6m | $1.7m | $1.2m | $0.7m | $75.0m |
| 2012-13 | $16.0m | $12.4m | $10.3m | $5.2m | $3.6m | $1.1m | $0.8m | $0.5m | $50.0m |
| Total | $96.9m | $74.6m | $60.9m | $31.0m | $22.1m | $6.8m | $4.7m | $3.0m | $300.0m |
Capital Funding for Emergency Departments
| Year | NSW | VIC | QLD | WA | SA | TAS | ACT | NT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | $14.5m | $11.4m | $9.6m | $0.0m | $4.0m | $1.9m | $1.7m | $1.4m | $44.6m |
| 2010-11 | $29.0m | $22.8m | $19.2m | $16.2m | $8.0m | $3.8m | $3.4m | $2.8m | $105.4m |
| 2011-12 | $14.5m | $11.4m | $9.6m | $5.4m | $4.0m | $1.9m | $1.7m | $1.4m | $50.0m |
| 2012-13 | $14.5m | $11.4m | $9.6m | $5.4m | $4.0m | $1.9m | $1.7m | $1.4m | $50.0m |
| Total | $72.5m | $57.0m | $48.0m | $27.0m | $20.0m | $9.5m | $8.5m | $7. 0m | $250.0m |
1 Funding has been distributed based on estimated population. Funding for ED capital investment has also been distributed with a $5 million flagfall for each jurisdiction.
2 Estimated funding allocations are contingent on performance, and assume a national roll-out distributed based on estimated population.
3 Columns and rows may not add due to rounding. Actual payments will be calculated to the nearest dollar.
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