Citation

Walker K, Stephenson M, Dunlop WA, Cheong EM, Ben-Meir M. Emerg. Med. Australas. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Emergency Department, Cabrini Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1742-6723.13328

PMID

31155845

Abstract

We describe a novel ambulance diversion programme, piloted in Victoria. This article discusses creating increased emergency capacity during surge or disasters by utilising private EDs, tested during a recent thunderstorm asthma disaster and an influenza epidemic. Public hospitals and EDs often run at or over capacity during normal operations. This leaves limited ability to manage surges in demand, resulting in suboptimal outcomes for patients, public ED staff and ambulance services. It is feasible to create surge capacity in private EDs for public ambulance patients. Other states could consider this option to help manage health disasters.

© 2019 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.

Language: en

Keywords

ambulance, disaster medicine; emergency service; hospital; private; surge capacity