The $251.7 million Emergency Department Reform Package comprises 17 initiatives that will focus on reducing demand pressures and enhancing system-wide coordination both in the short term and over the longer term.
The reform package includes $2.4 million for the Emergency Access Response Program, to identify solutions for long term improvements to emergency care to reduce ramping.
In a first for WA, $3 million will be spent on preparing a business case for a State Health Operations Centre, which would seek to deliver better patient outcomes by ensuring better coordination for those people in need of emergency care including expediting access to specialist services, diverting unnecessary admissions to emergency departments and coordinating between regional and metropolitan services
“The dedicated emergency care package is a key component of my Government’s sustained and renewed investment into delivering the best of health care to Western Australians.” said Premier Mark McGowan.
“This major reform will deliver Western Australians better access to health services, no matter where they live and address some of the pressure points of our health system.”
Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson: “The McGowan Government is embarking on a major reform program to improve emergency care delivery and address the systemic causes of ambulance ramping across Western Australia.
“This comprehensive reform package will focus on reducing demand pressures and enhancing system-wide coordination, consistent with the recommendations of the Sustainable Health Review.
“Addressing the root cause of the challenges facing our emergency departments will take time which is why our reform program includes immediate response measures and a dedicated Ministerial Taskforce to identify longer term, lasting improvements for patient care.”
