Reducing avoidable ambulance presentations in emergency

Written By Clare Skinner

October 2016

NSW Health

Reducing avoidable ambulance presentations in emergency - 2016 NSW Health Awards

Reducing avoidable ambulance presentations in emergency

Winner for Minister for Health Award for Innovation​​ and finalist for Integrated Health Care

Nort​hern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD)

NSW Ambulance and the GRACE (Geriatric Rapid Acute Care Evaluation) team at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Health Service have developed and implemented a simple low cost mechanism taking advantage of already available resources in the Local Health District. It is streamlining patient presentations to the emergency department for patients with sub-acute or chronic health issues. This mechanism allows the GRACE team access to the booking icon alert when an ambulance is booked for response to a residential aged care facility in the area.

As a result of this innovation we have achieved an additional 15 per cent reduction in unnecessary hospital presentations.​​​​​​​​

Clare Skinner

Dr Clare Skinner is a specialist emergency physician with interests in leadership, advocacy, workplace culture, quality and safety, clinical redesign and health system reform. Her current areas of focus include transformation of the emergency department workforce, improving care of people with mental health symptoms, building positive culture in hospitals, and fostering diversity and inclusion in health services. Clare works as a clinician, manager and educator. She is a frequent contributor to academic journals, mainstream media and medical blogs on topics related to hospital practice and culture. Clare is a regular speaker at emergency medicine and leadership conferences and seminars. She was selected in the Top 50 Public Sector Women NSW in 2018.

https://clareskinner.com
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