Are these emergency department performance data real? | Emergency Medicine Journal

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Are these emergency department performance data real?

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What do these performance data mean in our practice?
Clement Lee
Published on: 29 April 2016

Published on: 29 April 2016
What do these performance data mean in our practice?
- Clement Lee, Basic Surgical Trainee
Dear Editor,
I read with interest the article by Locker and Mason with regards to whether the current emergency department performance data are real.
This article clearly highlighted the pressure that all the emergency departments in the country had to face since the Department of Health introduced the 98% four hour waiting time target. In a way, these new guild-lines have encouraged restructuring in...
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Dear Editor,
I read with interest the article by Locker and Mason with regards to whether the current emergency department performance data are real.
This article clearly highlighted the pressure that all the emergency departments in the country had to face since the Department of Health introduced the 98% four hour waiting time target. In a way, these new guild-lines have encouraged restructuring in the running of many departments and implementing some effective changes to reduce the waiting time. However, like other colleagues in the country, my main concern with the 4 hour target is still the standard of the care of the patients. The new target has undoubtedly brought a lot of extra administrative work, financial strain and unnecessary stress to all the staff in hospitals. Our department is seeing an increasing number of cases which should otherwise be seen in the primary health settings. More patients would rather come to A&E and wait for up to 4 hours than waiting for a few days or even weeks to see their GPs. These patients often have blood tests or investigations which are not actually indicated according to their presenting complaints. There is also a misconception among patients that hospital doctors are more knowledgeable than GPs but what they do not realise is that some of the senior house officers they see might have only finished their house jobs.
The government should investigate the current GP practice and find out how they can make the service more widely available and accessible. Furthermore, the department of health should introduce a better public health programme and educate the population about the basic management of certain simple medical conditions (i.e. take simple analgesia for simple headaches and musculoskeletal pain) as well as when they should see their GPs or go to the hospital. It is certainly a good idea that we are currently training some experienced paramedics in dealing with simple cases at home instead of bringing everyone to the hospital. However, having discussed the legal issues with the staff involved, the actual effect of these changes remains to be seen.
References
Locker TE, Mason SM. Are these emergency department performance data real? Emerg Med J 2006; 23:558-9.
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Conflict of Interest:
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