New clinics remedy for EDs
THOUSANDS of people could be diverted from the emergency department waiting room if the government built urgent care clinics, a report says.
A Price water house Coopers Consulting report into the feasibility of providing alternative treatment options for people seeking urgent medical care has been released.
It says Urgent Care Centre sin Hobart and Launceston could prevent up to 42,000 presentations to emergency departments a year and save $114 min their first decade.
It found that setting up centres at Glenorchy and Mowbray would be feasible, at an estimated cost of $100m for 10 years.
THE STUDY NOTES ESTIMATED COSTS OF CLOSE TO $100M TO OPEN AND OPERATE THE TWO UCCS OVER A 10-YEAR PERIOD
HEALTH MINISTER SARAH COURTNEY
GIVEN THE REPORT’S STRONGLY POSITIVE FINDINGS, IT’S UNCLEAR WHY THE LIBERALS HAVEN’T ACTED SOONER GREENS MP ROSALIE WOODRUFF
OPENING Urgent Care Centres in Hobart and Launceston could prevent up to 42,000 presentations to emergency departments a year and save $114 min their first decade.
A Price water house Coopers Consulting report into the feasibility of providing alternative treatment options for people seeking urgent medical care has been released by the stategovernment.
It found that setting up centres at Glenorchy and Mowbray would be feasible, with an estimated cost of $100m to open and operate over 10 years.
Urgent care centres typically care between 8am and 10pm with services comparable to general practice clinics with the addition of X-ray facilities, supported by nurses and allied health workers and are offered at no cost.
“A UCC has the potential to provide cost-efficient and effective care for patients presenting with low acuity illnesses and injuries ,” the report found .“AU CC would support the emergency department in delivering on the key priority of ‘reducing avoidable hospitalisations’; a clear example of a project that builds services that continue to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of Tasmanians.
“The estimated cost saving of diverting low acuity presentations from ED to a U CC is $41.5 mover 10 years for Launceston and $72.7 mover 10 years in Hobart.”
Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the government would begin formal consultations about pursuing the idea with local health services, consumers and others.
“The study notes estimated costs of close to $100 m to open and operate the two UCCs over a 10- year period, with potential presentations peaking at the end of the 10 years as approximately 26,000 at the Hobart U CC, and 17,000 at the Launceston U CC ,” she said.
“This represents up to 42,000 emergency presentations that could be treated in a year at full capacity— reducing ED waiting times for more urgent cases, as well as helping reduce ambulance ramping and improve response times.’’
The PwC report noted that demand for emergency department services — and for ambulances — was growing faster than population growth, but many were triaged as requiring non-acute care.
“Whilst the Government has implemented a number of initiatives to service the intermediate space between acute and community care, there remain san existing gap in services; that being, an appropriate alternative to the emergency department that is readily accessible both in day time and after-hours for people requiring intermediate clinical care who would otherwise present to the emergency department ,” it said.
Greens health spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said the release of the report was 18 months over due.
“Given the report’ s strongly positive findings, it’s unclear why the Liberals haven’ t acted sooner,” she said.
She called on the government to make establishing the centres a top priority.