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WQ.488/2021 WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
BY DEPUTY K.G. PAMPLIN OF ST. SAVIOUR
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2021
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2021
Question
Will the Minister –
- advise the current processes that are followed when patients admitted to the Emergency Department require additional tests, scans or referral to a Consultant following initial assessment; and
- provide a breakdown of the length of time between admission and onward referral for Emergency Department admissions occurring between December 2019 and December 2021?
Answer
- When patients attend the Emergency Department (ED), an initial triage is undertaken followed by a doctor assessment. Depending on each individual case, patients may have diagnostics or specialist review undertaken in different ways:
- Patient may have diagnostics or specialist review within the ED.
- The patient may require hospital admission where they will be referred to the speciality team for review and, if required, admitted for further diagnostics, care and treatment.
- The patient is discharged from ED for further review as an outpatient
- The patient is discharged from ED for further review via the GP
- The patient is discharged from ED and returns to the Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit for further review & diagnostics.
- For the period 1 December 2019 to 30 November 2021, the average time from arrival at the Emergency Department to admission to the hospital, and the average time per month from the ED requesting a bed to the patient leaving the department, is shown below:
Month and Year of Attendance | Number of Patients Admitted following ED attendance | Average Total Time in Emergency Department from Arrival to Admission (Minutes) | Average Time from Bed request to Leaving department (Minutes) |
Dec 2019 | 470 | 295.67 | 142.70 |
Jan 2020 | 455 | 283.85 | 142.50 |
Feb 2020 | 437 | 293.62 | 151.56 |
Mar 2020 | 317 | 246.17 | 114.80 |
Apr 2020 | 200 | 177.96 | 90.61 |
May 2020 | 297 | 197.59 | 93.58 |
Jun 2020 | 378 | 206.16 | 98.74 |
Jul 2020 | 355 | 236.19 | 111.36 |
Aug 2020 | 402 | 244.78 | 122.75 |
Sep 2020 | 360 | 240.79 | 111.64 |
Oct 2020 | 439 | 268.44 | 138.18 |
Nov 2020 | 377 | 246.21 | 111.91 |
Dec 2020 | 359 | 265.00 | 135.97 |
Jan 2021 | 373 | 250.90 | 132.95 |
Feb 2021 | 353 | 264.35 | 134.24 |
Mar 2021 | 413 | 285.89 | 146.17 |
Apr 2021 | 396 | 288.33 | 140.07 |
May 2021 | 409 | 298.48 | 152.36 |
Jun 2021 | 431 | 309.85 | 148.10 |
Jul 2021 | 434 | 305.99 | 142.29 |
Aug 2021 | 434 | 309.59 | 147.79 |
Sep 2021 | 427 | 329.96 | 158.35 |
Oct 2021 | 455 | 305.66 | 156.60 |
Nov 2021 | 505 | 305.20 | 139.30 |
Data Source: Hospital Patient Administration System (TrakCare, Report ED5A)
Time In Emergency Department by pre/post Bed Request (Minutes)
350 300 250 200 150
Minutes 100
50
0
Jul 2020 Jul 2021
Dec 2019 Jan 2020 Feb 2020 Mar 2020 Apr 2020 May 2020 Jun 2020 Aug 2020 Sep 2020 Oct 2020 Nov 2020 Dec 2020 Jan 2021 Feb 2021 Mar 2021 Apr 2021 May 2021 Jun 2021 Aug 2021 Sep 2021 Oct 2021 Nov 2021
Arrival to Bed Request Bed request to left department (Minutes)
Data Source: Hospital Patient Administration System (TrakCare, Report ED5A)