Better emergency care at Wellington Hospital

  • Jonathan Coleman
Health

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman today visited Capital and Coast DHB which has made good progress on the government’s shorter stays in emergency department target.

“Staff from across Capital and Coast DHB including clinicians and administrators have worked together to make significant progress on the shorter stays in emergency department target,” says Dr Coleman.

“This year the DHB met the national 95 per cent target for the first time, despite an increase in the number of patients. This is great progress from 2010 when only 74 per cent of patients presenting to the emergency department were seen, admitted or discharged within six hours.

“Strong clinical leadership and best practice changes in the DHB have improved patient care and helped to reduce unnecessary admissions. 

“For example, frail elderly patients are screened on arrival to ensure they receive the right care and support, and medical patients can bypass the emergency department and be assessed in the medical assessment and planning unit, speeding up waiting times and overall time spent in hospital.

“The DHB is also delivering more services closer to home. It has good working relationships with partners in primary care and aged residential care to prevent unnecessary hospitalisations.”

Capital and Coast DHB has received an extra $145 million in funding over the last six years, taking the total funding for 2014/2015 to $746 million.

All 20 DHBs continue to make good progress on the shorter stays in emergency department target. “The government’s focus on results and improved care for patients is working. Updated results will be released in November, and we expect DHBs to continue to perform well against this target,” says Dr Coleman.