CAIRNS HOSPITAL ED REVIEW FIRST STEP IN $11 MILLION UPGRADE

A nationally-recognised clinical expert in running emergency departments arrives in Cairns tomorrow (Wed) to begin a review of the hospital’s ED, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

Mr Robertson said Dr Marcus Kennedy, director of emergency services at Royal Melbourne Hospital, will head the review as step one of the Beattie Government’s promised $11 million expansion of the Cairns Hospital emergency department.

“Dr Kennedy’s review will provide us with the vital information to ensure we have an emergency department that operates at maximum efficiency and can cater for future growth in patient demand,” he said.

“Expansion of the Cairns ED was an election commitment and, when completed, will provide an additional 12 beds in the emergency department.

“Currently, the ED has 24 beds, including two paediatric beds.

“In addition to the $11 million capital upgrade, a further $6.39 million is also being invested to meet the extra running costs of the new beds.

“But before we commence the upgrade, a comprehensive review needs to be undertaken to examine how the ED operates now and identify its future requirements.

“This will inform exactly how we should carry out the upgrade and how best to configure the ED for future growth.”

Mr Robertson said Dr Kennedy would visit the Cairns ED from January 24 to 26 and is expected to prepare a draft report by the end of February.

Dr Kennedy has been involved in a number of similar reviews of hospital emergency departments throughout Australia.

He is also the clinical leader for the Victorian Patient Flow Collaborative which comprises around 20 emergency departments around Victoria working together to improve patient flow within the departments and between the EDs and their hospitals.

Dr Kennedy said hospitals around the country were being prompted to look at patient flows in new and different ways because the business of caring for patients was becoming increasingly complex.

This was due to advances in medical science, an increase in the number of chronically ill people and an increase in the acuity of illnesses, especially with the ageing of the population.

All aspects of the operations of an emergency department and the hospital itself had to

be reviewed so the patient flow system worked smoothly in all its parts – including a patient’s journey from their GP to the ED, into hospital and then back out into the community.

“All parts of the system need to understand they are providing a service to the patient’s journey through the hospital,’’ Dr Kennedy said.

While in Cairns, Dr Kennedy will examine the physical structure and design of the Cairns Base Hospital Emergency Department, as well as patient flow, patient safety, performance indicators, staff and staffing levels.

Cairns Health Service District Acting Executive Director of Medical Services, Dr Wayne McDonald, said Dr Kennedy’s review would point the way forward to redesign the physical structure of the emergency department, as well as work practices and discharge planning in the ED and throughout Cairns Base Hospital.

“This is an exciting time for the hospital and the Emergency Department,’’ Dr McDonald said.

The Cairns ED expansion is expected to be completed in 2008-2009.

MEDIA: Joshua Cooney 3234 1185