EMERGENCY patients at the Launceston General Hospital are waiting as long as 20 hours for a bed, but new research has found a surprising 27 per cent of patients occupying beds do not need to be there. The research, commissioned by the University of Tasmania as part of a Commonwealth-funded clinical redesign program, has also revealed that LGH patients are potentially waiting hours for beds that were empty when they arrived at the hospital. It said admitted patients waited an average of 14 hours in the LGH emergency department, though the average wait time topped 20 hours for some medical specialties. But the university’s Health Services Innovation Tasmania co-director, Craig Quarmby, said the major problem was not in the emergency department but in the wards, where beds were not made available as quickly as they could be. The research tracked the patient journey at Tasmania’s major public hospitals, from when they first presented, to when they left or were admitted to a ward, and later discharged. Associate Professor Quarmby said admitted patients at the LGH faced the longest wait in the period from when their bed was requested to when it was allocated (six hours and four minutes), likely pointing to delays in getting inpatient teams to see and admit patients, as well as bed block. He said he was surprised that 27 per cent of beds were occupied by patients with ‘‘non-clinical need’’, meaning they didn’t need to be there but for some reason could not leave, whether it was delays to the discharge process or that their post-hospital destination (such as an aged care home or rehab) was not yet identified or ready. Associate Professor Quarmby said it was within the hospital’s capacity to reduce the number of unnecessary patients – though some issues, such as the wait for an aged care bed, were outside the LGH’s control. The report also said that some LGH patients waited an average five hours and 18 minutes for a bed that was empty when they arrived at the emergency department. Associate Professor Quarmby said that figure wasn’t accurate, as it included beds that were unstaffed and unavailable due to budget constraints. However, he said it did point to a problem. ‘‘There is a percentage where beds were empty, but what the magnitude of that percentage is, we don’t know for certain,’’ he said. Associate Professor Quarmby said work would now continue to improve hospital processes and address the problems identified, with two working groups looking to improve patient flow through the emergency department and the hospital. He said LGH staff were willing to participate and co-operate with the clinical redesign team, and report authors said they were ‘‘extremely impressed’’ by their quality and commitment. ‘‘The findings are no reflection on the skills and dedication of hospital staff, which are excellent and unquestioned,’’ he said. KPMG has also formed a medical patient journey work group, and an older persons journey clinical redesign work group, looking at the flow into the wards and the flow out.
EMERGENCY patients at the Launceston General Hospital are waiting as long as 20 hours for a bed, but new research has found a surprising 27 per cent of patients occupying beds do not need to be there.
The research, commissioned by the University of Tasmania as part of a Commonwealth-funded clinical redesign program, has also revealed that LGH patients are potentially waiting hours for beds that were empty when they arrived at the hospital.
It said admitted patients waited an average of 14 hours in the LGH emergency department, though the average wait time topped 20 hours for some medical specialties.
But the university’s Health Services Innovation Tasmania co-director, Craig Quarmby, said the major problem was not in the emergency department but in the wards, where beds were not made available as quickly as they could be.
The research tracked the patient journey at Tasmania’s major public hospitals, from when they first presented, to when they left or were admitted to a ward, and later discharged.
Associate Professor Quarmby said admitted patients at the LGH faced the longest wait in the period from when their bed was requested to when it was allocated (six hours and four minutes), likely pointing to delays in getting inpatient teams to see and admit patients, as well as bed block.
He said he was surprised that 27 per cent of beds were occupied by patients with ‘‘non-clinical need’’, meaning they didn’t need to be there but for some reason could not leave, whether it was delays to the discharge process or that their post-hospital destination (such as an aged care home or rehab) was not yet identified or ready.
Associate Professor Quarmby said it was within the hospital’s capacity to reduce the number of unnecessary patients – though some issues, such as the wait for an aged care bed, were outside the LGH’s control.
The report also said that some LGH patients waited an average five hours and 18 minutes for a bed that was empty when they arrived at the emergency department.
Associate Professor Quarmby said that figure wasn’t accurate, as it included beds that were unstaffed and unavailable due to budget constraints.
However, he said it did point to a problem.
‘‘There is a percentage where beds were empty, but what the magnitude of that percentage is, we don’t know for certain,’’ he said.
Associate Professor Quarmby said work would now continue to improve hospital processes and address the problems identified, with two working groups looking to improve patient flow through the emergency department and the hospital.
He said LGH staff were willing to participate and co-operate with the clinical redesign team, and report authors said they were ‘‘extremely impressed’’ by their quality and commitment.
‘‘The findings are no reflection on the skills and dedication of hospital staff, which are excellent and unquestioned,’’ he said.
KPMG has also formed a medical patient journey work group, and an older persons journey clinical redesign work group, looking at the flow into the wards and the flow out.
