Managing emergency demand in public hospitals

Hospital emergency departments are one of our community’s most important safety nets. Worldwide, emergency departments report that they are experiencing pressures from growing demand. Pressures in the health system such as difficulties accessing a General Practitioner, and an ageing population, are felt in growing demands for urgent care in emergency departments.This study concludes that Victoria’s metropolitan health services are responding effectively to continuing high demand for emergency care. Innovative approaches, reducing demand on emergency departments and managing the total flow of patients through the hospital system, are making a difference. Some of the signs of pressure, such as excessive periods when ambulances are asked to bypass hospitals, and long waits in the emergency department for an inpatient bed, have shown improvement.

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