Health Minister Jillian Skinner, accompanied by Member for Parramatta Dr Geoff Lee and Member for Granville Tony Issa, has congratulated Westmead Hospital on its dramatic improvement in emergency department performance against national benchmarks.
Mrs Skinner said Westmead Hospital has dramatically improved its National Emergency Access Target (NEAT), which measures the percentage of patients who leave the emergency department within four hours.
Between March 2011 and December 2013, Westmead’s monthly NEAT figure rose from 34% to a record 73.7%, an increase of almost 30%.
Mrs Skinner acknowledged the contribution from the NSW government, which committed $5 million to upgrade facilities at the Westmead Hospital emergency department in 2013.
“This physical redesign has improved flow, particularly around the ambulance bay, which has been a significant factor in the startling improvement in NEAT - but it is by no means the only factor.
“Much is asked of staff in a major trauma hospital such as Westmead - which treats more than 63,000 emergency department patients a year - and much is being delivered,” Mrs Skinner said.
“Credit is also due to the Ministry of Health’s Whole of Hospital Program, which commenced in February 2013. This state-wide program supports improved practices throughout hospitals, such as better bed management in wards, which allows admitted patients to leave the emergency department sooner and move to a ward.”
Mrs Skinner said results for all 23 hospitals participating in the Whole of Hospital Program will shortly be available.
